Model
Whirlpool WFW7540F**
Rank #56 means 55 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 89th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 89% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WFW7540F** cost to run per year?
The Whirlpool WFW7540F** runs for about $16 a year, landing it near the bottom of the cost table at rank #56 of 388 washing machine models we track. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 89 means the low running cost is not just a function of size; it is genuinely efficient for its class. The IMEF figure of 2.92 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 Maytag MHW3500F** at $16/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WFW92HEF** at $17/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 WFW7540F**'s $16/yr adds up to roughly $160 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WFW7540F** 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 $16/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WFW7540F** 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 WFW7540F** costs about $160. That is roughly $40 less than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WFW7540F** compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $16/yr, it runs about $4 a year cheaper than the class median of $20, and it is about $9 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 4.5 cu ft, the Whirlpool WFW7540F** 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 2.92, 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 WFW7540F** cheap to run?
Yes. Its $16/yr running cost puts it at rank #56 of 388, below what most washing machine models we track cost to run.
How much does the Whirlpool WFW7540F** cost per month?
About $1.36 a month, which is the $16 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: 88 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $16 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WFW7540F** for its size?
89th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | Maytag MHW3500F**4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 54 | Maytag MHW5630M**4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 53 | Electrolux ELTG7600***4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 52 | Electrolux ELTE760C*** -4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 51 | Electrolux ELTE7600*** -4.5 cu ft | $16 |
Source
ES_22856_WFW7540F**_04262016220902_8542656View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WFW7540F** 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.