Model
Samsung WH46DBH5**G*
Rank #82 means 81 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 82nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 82% of those models.
What does the Samsung WH46DBH5**G* cost to run per year?
At roughly $18 a year to run, ranking #82 of 388, the Samsung WH46DBH5**G* costs less than the typical washing machine model we track. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 82 sits well above the class median, a clearly above-average efficiency result. The IMEF figure of 3.1 on this model captures integrated modified energy factor, the main efficiency lever ENERGY STAR tracks for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Samsung WH46DBH55*E* at $18/yr runs a little cheaper and the Ge GFW148S*M*** 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 Samsung WH46DBH5**G*'s $18/yr adds up to roughly $180 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Samsung WF46BG65**A*.
By the numbers
The Samsung WH46DBH5**G* 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 Samsung WH46DBH5**G* 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 WH46DBH5**G* 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 Samsung WH46DBH5**G* 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 4.6 cu ft, the Samsung WH46DBH5**G* 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, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost. Beyond size, its IMEF of 3.1, 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 Samsung WH46DBH5**G* cheap to run?
Yes. Its $18/yr running cost puts it at rank #82 of 388, below what most washing machine models we track cost to run.
How much does the Samsung WH46DBH5**G* cost per month?
About $1.47 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: 95 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 Samsung WH46DBH5**G* for its size?
82nd percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 80 | Samsung WF45R63**A*4.5 cu ft | $18 |
Source
ES_1023593_WH46DBH5**G*_11302023131213_80190736View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Samsung and WH46DBH5**G* 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.