Model
Midea MLHE31S2BWW
Rank #420 means 419 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 0th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 0% of those models.
What does the Midea MLHE31S2BWW cost to run per year?
Ranking #420 of 615, the Midea MLHE31S2BWW sits in the pricier half of its class to run, at about $113 a year. Adjusted for size, it is only more efficient than 0% of clothes dryer models we track, among the lowest size-adjusted results we track for the class. At a CEF of 3.93, its combined energy factor is the single figure that best explains how it earns its running-cost number.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Midea MLHE27H7BCG at $113/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea MLHE31S2BBW 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 MLHE31S2BWW's $113/yr adds up to roughly $1469 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Electrolux ELFE4333AW.
By the numbers
The Midea MLHE31S2BWW 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 MLHE31S2BWW 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 MLHE31S2BWW 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 MLHE31S2BWW 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 4.4 cu ft, the Midea MLHE31S2BWW is a small clothes dryer for its class, which spans 3.8 to 9.2 cu ft with a median of 7.4 cu ft, and smaller clothes dryer models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal. Beyond size, its CEF of 3.93, above 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 Midea MLHE31S2BWW cheap to run?
Not especially. At $113 a year it ranks #420 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 MLHE31S2BWW 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 MLHE31S2BWW for its size?
0th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 416 | Midea MLHE27H7BCG4.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 415 | Whirlpool YWEF5727T**7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 414 | Whirlpool WEF5727T**7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 413 | Ge Profile PTD80EB*T***7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 412 | Midea MLHE52S7AWW8 cu ft | $113 |
Source
ES_1030337_MLHE31S2BWW_100920250838568_5122335View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Midea and MLHE31S2BWW 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.