Model
Ge GTW490ACJ3WS
Rank #267 means 266 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 44th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 44% of those models.
What does the Ge GTW490ACJ3WS cost to run per year?
At about $25 a year, the Ge GTW490ACJ3WS costs more to run than most washing machine models we track, rank #267 of 388. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of 44% of washing machine models we track, right in the class's middle band. 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 Ge GTW490ACJ2WS at $25/yr runs a little cheaper and the Ge GTW490ACJ4WS at $25/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 GTW490ACJ3WS's $25/yr adds up to roughly $250 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Ge GTW490ACJ2WS.
By the numbers
The Ge GTW490ACJ3WS 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 $25/yr, here is what the Ge GTW490ACJ3WS 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 GTW490ACJ3WS costs about $250. That is roughly $50 more than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Ge GTW490ACJ3WS compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $25/yr, it runs about $5 a year above the class median of $20, and it is about $18 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 4.4 cu ft, the Ge GTW490ACJ3WS is a small washing machine for its class, which spans 1.9 to 6 cu ft with a median of 4.5 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. 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 GTW490ACJ3WS cheap to run?
Its $25/yr running cost, rank #267 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 GTW490ACJ3WS cost per month?
About $2.06 a month, which is the $25 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: 133 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $25 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Ge GTW490ACJ3WS for its size?
44th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 267 | Ge GTW490ACJ2WS4.4 cu ft | $25 |
| 266 | Whirlpool WFW5605M**4.5 cu ft | $24 |
| 265 | Samsung WF56H91**C*5.6 cu ft | $24 |
| 264 | Lg WT7850H*A5.2 cu ft | $24 |
| 263 | Lg WT7800C*5.5 cu ft | $24 |
Source
ES_1123206_GTW490ACJ3WS_12122016183244_7564196View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Ge and GTW490ACJ3WS 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.