Model
Whirlpool WED8120H**
Rank #255 means 254 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 87th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 87% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WED8120H** cost to run per year?
At $113 a year to run, the Whirlpool WED8120H** sits close to the middle of its class on cost, ranking #255 of 615 clothes dryer models we track. Once capacity is factored in, it outperforms 87% of the clothes dryer models we track on efficiency, not just on headline running cost. 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 Maytag YMED7230H** at $113/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WED7120H** 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 Whirlpool WED8120H**'s $113/yr adds up to roughly $1469 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Kenmore C6813*41*.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WED8120H** 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 Whirlpool WED8120H** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Whirlpool WED8120H** 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 Whirlpool WED8120H** 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 8.8 cu ft, the Whirlpool WED8120H** 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. 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 Whirlpool WED8120H** cheap to run?
It is about average. At $113 a year it ranks #255 of 615 clothes dryer models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Whirlpool WED8120H** 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 Whirlpool WED8120H** for its size?
87th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 302 | Maytag YMED7230H**7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 301 | Maytag MED7230H**7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 300 | Maytag MED8230H**8.8 cu ft | $113 |
| 299 | Amana NED5800H**7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 298 | Samsung DVE50R85***7.5 cu ft | $113 |
Source
ES_22856_WED8120H**_09112019154848_6928419View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WED8120H** 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.