Model
Whirlpool WFW5720R**
Rank #286 means 285 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 41st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 41% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WFW5720R** cost to run per year?
The Whirlpool WFW5720R** costs about $26 a year to run, more than most of the 388 washing machine models we track; it ranks #286. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of 41% of washing machine models we track, right in the class's middle band. 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 Whirlpool WFW5220R** at $26/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WFW6720R** at $26/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 Whirlpool WFW5720R**'s $26/yr adds up to roughly $260 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Lg WT1150C*.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WFW5720R** 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 $26/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WFW5720R** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Whirlpool WFW5720R** costs about $260. That is roughly $60 more than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WFW5720R** compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $26/yr, it runs about $6 a year above the class median of $20, and it is about $19 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 4.5 cu ft, the Whirlpool WFW5720R** 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 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 Whirlpool WFW5720R** cheap to run?
Its $26/yr running cost, rank #286 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 Whirlpool WFW5720R** cost per month?
About $2.17 a month, which is the $26 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: 140 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $26 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WFW5720R** for its size?
41st 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 292 | Whirlpool WFW5220R**4.5 cu ft | $26 |
| 291 | Whirlpool WFW4720R**4.5 cu ft | $26 |
| 290 | Whirlpool WEF5727T**4.5 cu ft | $26 |
| 289 | Maytag MFW7020R**5 cu ft | $26 |
| 288 | Lg WT5275C*4.5 cu ft | $26 |
Source
ES_22856_WFW5720R**_071120242047727_5001526View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WFW5720R** 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.