Model
Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW
Rank #524 means 523 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 31st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 31% of those models.
What does the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW cost to run per year?
Not many clothes dryer models we track cost more to run than the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW: about $128 a year, rank #524 of 615. Normalized for capacity, it beats only 31% of clothes dryer models we track, a below-average efficiency result. Its CEF of 3.48 reflects combined energy factor, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Kenmore 7165*20* at $128/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WGD8127L** at $128/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A clothes dryer typically stays in service for somewhere around 13 years; over that span, the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW's $128/yr adds up to roughly $1664 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Electrolux EFMG427****.
By the numbers
The Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW normalized against its whole class, so each figure means something.
What it costs you over time
Running cost is an every-year number, so it compounds. At $128/yr, here is what the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW costs about $1280. That is roughly $150 more than the class median, which would run closer to $1130 over the same ten years.
How the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW compares
The clothes dryer class we track runs from $23 to $128 a year. At $128/yr, it runs about $15 a year above the class median of $113, and it is about $105 a year more than the cheapest clothes dryer to run at $23.
What drives its running cost
At 8 cu ft, the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW is a large clothes dryer for its class, which spans 3.8 to 9.2 cu ft with a median of 7.4 cu ft, and larger clothes dryer models generally cost more to run than smaller ones in the same class, simply because there is more to keep cold, spin, heat, or light. Beyond size, its CEF of 3.48, below the class median of 3.93, is the class's own efficiency yardstick, combined energy factor, and it is what separates two similarly sized models with different running costs.
- Heat source and Combined Energy Factor (CEF). CEF combines drying performance with standby and off-mode energy use; for a given drum size, a higher CEF means less energy per pound of laundry dried, and heat-pump models usually post the highest figures in the class.
- Drum capacity. Drum capacity sets how much laundry one cycle can hold, and heating a bigger volume of air generally costs more energy per cycle.
Common questions
Is the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW cheap to run?
Not especially. At $128 a year it ranks #524 of 615 clothes dryer models we track, in the pricier part of its class to run, though its size and features may still justify that for your needs.
How much does the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW cost per month?
Roughly $10.63/mo, spreading the $128/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 687 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $128 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Frigidaire FDGX21E4EW for its size?
31st percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 550 | Kenmore 7165*20*7.4 cu ft | $128 |
| 549 | Ge GFD55GS*N***7.8 cu ft | $128 |
| 548 | Samsung DVG45T61***7.5 cu ft | $128 |
| 547 | Ge GFD85GS*N***7.8 cu ft | $128 |
| 546 | Ge GFD65GS*N***7.8 cu ft | $128 |
Source
ES_1021080_FDGX21E4EW_06082020233059_9059173View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Frigidaire and FDGX21E4EW are used here for identification only and are not endorsements. Figures are computed by WattWise Labs from public ENERGY STAR data, not measured in our own lab.