Model
Samsung WA49B5205A*
Rank #231 means 230 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 59th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 59% of those models.
What does the Samsung WA49B5205A* cost to run per year?
At about $22 a year, the Samsung WA49B5205A* lands in the middle third of washing machine models we track on running cost, rank #231 of 388. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of 59% of washing machine models we track, right in the class's middle band. Its IMEF of 2.06 reflects integrated modified energy factor, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Lg WT8600C* at $22/yr runs a little cheaper and the Samsung WA50A54**A* at $22/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 Samsung WA49B5205A*'s $22/yr adds up to roughly $220 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Samsung WA49B5205A* 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 $22/yr, here is what the Samsung WA49B5205A* adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Samsung WA49B5205A* costs about $220. That is roughly $20 more than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Samsung WA49B5205A* compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $22/yr, it runs about $2 a year above the class median of $20, and it is about $15 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 4.9 cu ft, the Samsung WA49B5205A* 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, right in the middle of the capacity range, so capacity is roughly a wash compared with the rest of the class. Beyond size, its IMEF of 2.06, below 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 Samsung WA49B5205A* cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $22/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #231 of 388, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Samsung WA49B5205A* cost per month?
About $1.86 a month, which is the $22 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: 120 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $22 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Samsung WA49B5205A* for its size?
59th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 230 | Lg WT8600C*5.5 cu ft | $22 |
| 229 | Lg WT8480C*5.5 cu ft | $22 |
| 228 | Lg WT8400C*5.5 cu ft | $22 |
| 227 | Lg WT8300C*5 cu ft | $22 |
| 226 | Lg WT8205C*4.8 cu ft | $22 |
Source
ES_1023593_WA49B5205A*_02172022060029_80116012View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Samsung and WA49B5205A* 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.