Model
Ge GFW550S*N***
Rank #322 means 321 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 34th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 34% of those models.
What does the Ge GFW550S*N*** cost to run per year?
Rank #322 of 388 puts the Ge GFW550S*N*** among the pricier washing machine models we track to keep running, at roughly $29 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 34 suggests its capacity is doing more work than its efficiency to keep the headline cost down. Its IMEF of 2.76 reflects integrated modified energy factor, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Ge GTW686BMY*** at $29/yr runs a little cheaper and the Ge GFW550S*R*** at $29/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 GFW550S*N***'s $29/yr adds up to roughly $290 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Ge GFW550S*R***, Ge GFW650S*N***.
By the numbers
The Ge GFW550S*N*** 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 $29/yr, here is what the Ge GFW550S*N*** 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 GFW550S*N*** costs about $290. That is roughly $90 more than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Ge GFW550S*N*** compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $29/yr, it runs about $9 a year above the class median of $20, and it is about $22 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 4.8 cu ft, the Ge GFW550S*N*** is a mid-size washing machine for its class, which spans 1.9 to 6 cu ft with a median of 4.5 cu ft, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone. Beyond size, its IMEF of 2.76, above the class median of 2.76, is the class's own efficiency yardstick, integrated modified energy factor, and it is what separates two similarly sized models with different running costs.
- 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 GFW550S*N*** cheap to run?
Its $29/yr running cost, rank #322 of 388, is above what most washing machine models we track cost to run, so this is not one of the cheaper picks on electricity alone.
How much does the Ge GFW550S*N*** cost per month?
About $2.44 a month, which is the $29 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: 158 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $29 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Ge GFW550S*N*** for its size?
34th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 321 | Ge GTW686BMY***4.4 cu ft | $29 |
| 320 | Ge GTW685BMR***4.4 cu ft | $29 |
| 319 | Ge GTW491BMR***4.1 cu ft | $29 |
| 318 | Ge GTW490BMR***4.1 cu ft | $29 |
| 317 | Whirlpool WFW6605M**5 cu ft | $28 |
Source
ES_1123206_GFW550S*N***_11212019143018_6618069View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Ge and GFW550S*N*** 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.