The Most Energy Efficient Washers Available

I saw Inconvenient Truth last night. It was moving to say the least, and I would recommend it as a must see. Personally, I am apolitical and fairly skeptical. We started The Green Project to demonstrate that they could save money, lots of money, by switching to energy efficient appliances. Another benefit is the savings of water and energy, which in turn is good for the environment.

To review, an average energy star washer is now 3.5-4 cubic feet, uses about 10-15 gallons of water and about 210 Kilowatts per year. The average top loader is still 2.4 cubic feet (without the agitator) uses about 42 gallons of water and about 420 Kilowatts per year. We used the Energystar guide of 8 loads per week when calculating the numbers. The numbers are even more pronounced if we consider the sizing difference. In other words, the front loader is 40% larger on average, so theoretically there would be 40% less usage with the same laundry.

There is no question that the dollar savings is substantial in water, sewer and electricity costs as well as the environmental benefit. Following are the most energy efficient washers on the market today.

Bosch WFMC3301, Average KWH 182 and 90% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Bosch WFMC6401, Average KWH 176 and 93% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Miele W4840, Average KWH 186 and 90% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Compact Machines 24" or less-

ASKO W6461, Average KWH 127 and 98% better than the Federal Energy Standards.


Miele W1113, W1119 and W1930 Average KWH 113 and 62% better than the Federal Energy Standards.