Appliance EnergyCost Calculator
Language· English

How to read appliance energy labels

Energy labels mix several kinds of number: an efficiency rating, an energy figure, sometimes a cost. Only the energy figure, in kWh, goes into a running-cost estimate. This guide shows where to find it on each label and how to use it.

The short answer

  1. Find the energy consumption figure in kilowatt-hours (kWh). It is the amount of electricity the appliance used in a standard test.
  2. Check what it covers: a year (common for refrigerators and freezers) or 100 cycles (used on EU labels for washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers).
  3. Enter it in the matching calculator with your own price per kWh. A yearly figure goes into the refrigerator calculator or the energy per year method of the appliance cost calculator. A figure per cycle goes into the washing machine, dishwasher or clothes dryer calculator.

Do not enter the efficiency class, the star rating or a cost printed on the label as an energy figure or a price.

Four kinds of number, and which one to use

  • Energy consumption (kWh per year or per 100 cycles). Use this. It is the figure your electricity price applies to.
  • Efficiency rating (a letter class, a star rating, or a ratio such as SEER). Use it to compare models in the same product group. It is not an amount of electricity, so it cannot be priced.
  • Estimated operating cost (US labels). A cost worked out with a national average electricity price and standard use. It is useful for comparing models, but your own cost depends on your price and use.
  • Capacity or size (litres, cubic feet, kg, place settings, BTU/h or kW of cooling). This tells you how big the appliance is or how much heat it moves. It is not the electricity it uses.

United States: the EnergyGuide label

The Federal Trade Commission's Energy Labeling Rule requires yellow EnergyGuide labels on products including clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, room air conditioners and televisions. The label shows an estimated yearly operating cost, a range of costs for similar models and, for appliances such as refrigerators, the estimated yearly electricity use in kWh.

The cost on the label rests on stated assumptions, set out in the rule:

  • Refrigerator labels state that the cost is based on a national average electricity cost, printed on the label in cents per kWh.
  • Clothes washer labels state that the cost is based on six wash loads a week and a national average electricity cost, and give operating costs for both electricity and natural gas.
  • Room air conditioner labels base the yearly cost on a national average electricity cost and seasonal use of 8 hours a day over 3 months.

Which number to use: the estimated yearly electricity use in kWh, multiplied by your own price. If you use the appliance much more or less than the label assumes, adjust the figure (see the washing machine example below). The labels also tell you to compare only with labels of similar models, because the cost ranges are set per product type and size.

An ENERGY STAR logo on an EnergyGuide label shows the model is certified. It is not an energy figure. For example, ENERGY STAR's current dishwasher criteria set a maximum rated energy use of 240 kWh a year for standard models and 155 kWh a year for compact models, measured in a U.S. Department of Energy test that assumes 215 cycles a year. A certified dishwasher's own figure can be lower, and real use depends on your cycles.

Canada: the EnerGuide label

Natural Resources Canada's EnerGuide label for appliances shows the model's annual energy consumption in kWh, an indicator placing it between the most and least efficient models of the same type and size, the type and capacity of the models it is compared with, and the model number. It does not show an operating cost. When the model is also ENERGY STAR certified, the ENERGY STAR symbol appears at the bottom of the label.

The label is mandatory for products including refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, electric ranges, and room and portable air conditioners.

Which number to use: the annual energy consumption in kWh, multiplied by your price per kWh.

United Kingdom

UK guidance covers product groups including refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and washer-dryers, tumble dryers, air conditioners, televisions and lighting. Labels for many of these groups have been rescaled from the old A+++ to G scale to a simpler A to G scale, starting in March 2021.

  • Great Britain: labels show the UK flag and, where applicable, a QR code linking to model information on a public website.
  • Northern Ireland: labels show the EU flag and a QR code linking to the EU's EPREL product database.

Which number to use: the energy consumption figure. Check its unit before entering it: a yearly figure is used as it is, and a figure for 100 cycles is divided by 100 to give the energy for one cycle.

European Union

The EU energy label rates efficiency from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient), shows the model's energy consumption, and carries a QR code linking to the EPREL database, which holds more product information. Compare energy figures only between models in the same product group. The energy figure depends on the product group:

  • Fridges and freezers: annual energy consumption in kWh.
  • Washing machines: weighted energy consumption per 100 cycles of the eco 40-60 program.
  • Dishwashers: energy consumption per 100 cycles, based on the eco program.
  • Tumble dryers: weighted average energy consumption per 100 drying cycles, in kWh, based on the eco program. The A to G label for tumble dryers applies from 1 July 2025; older labels used an A+++ to D scale.
  • Air conditioners: annual energy consumption in kWh per year for cooling, with the seasonal efficiency ratio (SEER) and the design load in kW. Heating figures are given separately for up to three European heating seasons.

Which number to use: for a 100-cycle figure, divide by 100 to get the energy per cycle, then enter it with the number of cycles you run each week. Remember it is measured on the eco program; other programs can use more or less.

Australia and New Zealand: the Energy Rating Label

The Energy Rating Label is part of the Australian and New Zealand Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program. More stars mean a more efficient model compared with others in its category. It can be a 6-star label, or a “super efficiency” 10-star label for appliances rated 7 stars or higher. Air conditioners can carry a Zoned Energy Rating Label, and dishwashers and clothes washing machines also carry a Water Rating Label.

The energy consumption figure is an estimate of how much energy the appliance uses each year, based on usage assumptions. For televisions, for example, it assumes 10 hours of use and 14 hours in standby a day.

Which number to use: the energy consumption figure in kWh per year, multiplied by the price on your electricity bill. If you use the appliance very differently from the label's assumptions, scale the figure or measure it.

Worked examples

Illustrative example: a yearly figure

A refrigerator label shows an illustrative 350 kWh a year, and your price is an illustrative 0.25 per kWh. The yearly cost is 350 × 0.25 = 87.50. An average month is 350 ÷ 12 = 29.17 kWh, costing 7.29.

Illustrative example: a figure for 100 cycles

An EU washing machine label shows an illustrative 70 kWh per 100 cycles. One cycle is 70 ÷ 100 = 0.7 kWh. At 4 cycles a week that is 2.8 kWh a week, or 2.8 × 365 ÷ 7 = 146 kWh a year. At an illustrative 0.25 per kWh, that costs 36.50 a year. Enter 0.7 kWh per cycle and 4 cycles a week in the washing machine calculator.

Illustrative example: adjusting a US washer label to your loads

A US washer label shows an illustrative 120 kWh a year, based on six loads a week. Six loads a week is about 6 × 365 ÷ 7 = 312.86 loads a year, so one load is about 120 ÷ 312.86 = 0.38 kWh. If you run three loads a week, enter 0.38 kWh per cycle and 3 cycles a week. This is an approximation: check the label for exactly what its figures include.

Common mistakes

  • Entering a letter class or a star rating instead of the kWh figure.
  • Entering a figure for 100 cycles as the energy for one cycle, which overstates the cost 100 times.
  • Entering the label's operating cost as your price per kWh.
  • Using an air conditioner's cooling capacity (BTU/h or kW of cooling) as its electrical power. See the air conditioner calculator.
  • Comparing figures across different product groups or label systems, which use different tests.

Limitations

Label figures come from standard tests, not from your home. Room temperature, settings, the programs you use, how full you load the appliance and its age all change real use. Different countries use different tests and assumptions, so the same model can show different figures in different regions. To replace a label estimate with your own figure, see how to measure real appliance electricity use. The methodology explains how the calculators turn any figure into weekly, monthly and yearly costs.

Sources

These sources support specific statements on this page. They do not review or endorse this calculator or its results. Last reviewed .

Calculators that use label figures