Model
Whirlpool WGD5220R**
Rank #540 means 539 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 14th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 14% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WGD5220R** cost to run per year?
At $128 a year to run, the Whirlpool WGD5220R** is among the more expensive clothes dryer models we track to run, ranking #540 of 615. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 14 is among the lowest in its class. Its CEF of 3.48 reflects combined energy factor, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Whirlpool WGD4720R** at $128/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WGD6720R** 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 Whirlpool WGD5220R**'s $128/yr adds up to roughly $1664 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Amana NGD5800H**.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WGD5220R** 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 Whirlpool WGD5220R** 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 WGD5220R** 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 Whirlpool WGD5220R** 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 7.4 cu ft, the Whirlpool WGD5220R** 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, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is. 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 Whirlpool WGD5220R** cheap to run?
Not especially. At $128 a year it ranks #540 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 Whirlpool WGD5220R** 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 Whirlpool WGD5220R** for its size?
14th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 597 | Whirlpool WGD4720R**7.4 cu ft | $128 |
| 596 | Whirlpool WGD5720R**7.4 cu ft | $128 |
| 595 | Ge Profile PFD95GS*W***7.8 cu ft | $128 |
| 594 | Electrolux ELFG7738***8 cu ft | $128 |
| 593 | Maytag MGD7020R**7.4 cu ft | $128 |
Source
ES_22856_WGD5220R**_071820241745497_3872012View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WGD5220R** 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.