Model
Midea MLE52N3AWW
Rank #374 means 373 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 80th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 80% of those models.
What does the Midea MLE52N3AWW cost to run per year?
At $113 a year to run, the Midea MLE52N3AWW runs more expensively than most models in its class, ranking #374 of 615 clothes dryer models we track. Once capacity is factored in, it outperforms 80% of the clothes dryer models we track on efficiency, not just on headline running cost. Its CEF of 3.93 reflects combined energy factor, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Samsung DVE50A85*** at $113/yr runs a little cheaper and the Samsung DVE55A77*** at $113/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 Midea MLE52N3AWW's $113/yr adds up to roughly $1469 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Crosley CFDMHE8105AW.
By the numbers
The Midea MLE52N3AWW 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 $113/yr, here is what the Midea MLE52N3AWW adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Midea MLE52N3AWW costs about $1130. That is roughly $0 less than the class median, which would run closer to $1130 over the same ten years.
How the Midea MLE52N3AWW compares
The clothes dryer class we track runs from $23 to $128 a year. At $113/yr, it sits right on the class median of $113, and it is about $90 a year more than the cheapest clothes dryer to run at $23.
What drives its running cost
At 8 cu ft, the Midea MLE52N3AWW 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, among clothes dryer models, bigger capacity is the most common reason a running-cost figure lands on the high side, all else being equal. The CEF of 3.93 on this model, above the class median of 3.93, measures combined energy factor; it is the number to compare directly against another model's CEF if capacity is similar.
- 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 Midea MLE52N3AWW cheap to run?
Not especially. At $113 a year it ranks #374 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 Midea MLE52N3AWW cost per month?
Roughly $9.4/mo, spreading the $113/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 608 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $113 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Midea MLE52N3AWW for its size?
80th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 322 | Samsung DVE50A85***7.5 cu ft | $113 |
| 321 | Samsung DVE50A5405*7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 320 | Samsung DVE50A86***7.5 cu ft | $113 |
| 319 | Samsung DVE50A88***7.5 cu ft | $113 |
| 318 | Samsung DVE50T52***7.4 cu ft | $113 |
Source
ES_1030337_MLE52N3AWW_050320210252205_3915516View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Midea and MLE52N3AWW 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.