Model
Whirlpool WED85HEFW*
Rank #299 means 298 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 50th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 50% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WED85HEFW* cost to run per year?
At $113 a year to run, the Whirlpool WED85HEFW* sits close to the middle of its class on cost, ranking #299 of 615 clothes dryer models we track. Its 50th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is unremarkable, close to what a typical model in the class scores. Its CEF of 3.93 reflects combined energy factor, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Whirlpool WED85HEFC* at $113/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool YWED8540FW* 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 WED85HEFW*'s $113/yr adds up to roughly $1469 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Amana NED5800H**.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WED85HEFW* 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 WED85HEFW* 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 WED85HEFW* 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 WED85HEFW* 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 7.4 cu ft, the Whirlpool WED85HEFW* 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, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency even enters the picture. 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 WED85HEFW* cheap to run?
It is about average. At $113 a year it ranks #299 of 615 clothes dryer models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Whirlpool WED85HEFW* 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 WED85HEFW* for its size?
50th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 260 | Whirlpool WED85HEFC*7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 259 | Whirlpool WED85HEFBL*7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 258 | Whirlpool WED8540FW*7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 257 | Whirlpool WED8510FW*8.8 cu ft | $113 |
| 256 | Kenmore C6913*41*8.8 cu ft | $113 |
Source
ES_22856_WED85HEFW*_10272016174516_0316219View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WED85HEFW* 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.