Model
Ge GFW148S*M***
Rank #86 means 85 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 19th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 19% of those models.
What does the Ge GFW148S*M*** cost to run per year?
Among the 388 washing machine models we track, the Ge GFW148S*M*** sits in the below-average-cost group, rank #86, at roughly $18 a year. Size-adjusted, this model ranks near the bottom of its class on efficiency, ahead of just 19% of washing machine models we track. At a IMEF of 2.07, its integrated modified energy factor is the single figure that best explains how it earns its running-cost number.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Samsung WH46DBH5**G* at $18/yr runs a little cheaper and the Lg SWWE50*3 at $18/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A washing machine typically stays in service for somewhere around 10 years; over that span, the Ge GFW148S*M***'s $18/yr adds up to roughly $180 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Ge GFW148S*M*** 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 $18/yr, here is what the Ge GFW148S*M*** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Ge GFW148S*M*** costs about $180. That is roughly $20 less than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Ge GFW148S*M*** compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $18/yr, it runs about $2 a year cheaper than the class median of $20, and it is about $11 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 2.4 cu ft, the Ge GFW148S*M*** is a small washing machine for its class, which spans 1.9 to 6 cu ft with a median of 4.5 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. The IMEF of 2.07 on this model, below the class median of 2.76, measures integrated modified energy factor; it is the number to compare directly against another model's IMEF if capacity is similar.
- Spin and wash efficiency (IMEF). IMEF is this class's core efficiency yardstick; two washers with the same drum size can carry meaningfully different IMEF figures and running costs.
- Drum volume. A larger-capacity washer can wash more per load, which can lower cost per pound of laundry, but it also draws more water and energy per cycle if you are not filling it.
- Water heating. Most washers rely on your home's hot water supply, but internal-heater sanitize or hot-wash cycles use meaningfully more electricity than a cold or warm wash.
Common questions
Is the Ge GFW148S*M*** cheap to run?
Yes. Its $18/yr running cost puts it at rank #86 of 388, below what most washing machine models we track cost to run.
How much does the Ge GFW148S*M*** cost per month?
About $1.5 a month, which is the $18 annual estimate spread across twelve months at the US average rate of $0.1856/kWh. Your own bill scales with your local electricity rate and how heavily you use it.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
The formula is annual kWh times price per kWh: 97 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $18 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Ge GFW148S*M*** for its size?
19th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | Samsung WH46DBH5**G*4.6 cu ft | $18 |
| 84 | Samsung WH46DBH55*E*4.6 cu ft | $18 |
| 83 | Samsung WH46DBH50*E*4.6 cu ft | $18 |
| 82 | Samsung WF46BG65**A*4.6 cu ft | $18 |
| 81 | Samsung WF45T62**A*4.5 cu ft | $18 |
Source
ES_1123206_GFW148S*M***_08272018155407_5247195View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Ge and GFW148S*M*** 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.