U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Federal Energy Management Program – Energy-Efficient Products

FEMP Designated Product: Clothes Washers

ENERGY STAR Qualified Products

Legal Authorities

Federal agencies are required by the National Energy Conservation Act (P.L. 95-619), Executive Order 13423 and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 23.2 and 53.223 to specify and buy ENERGY STAR®-qualified products or, in categories not included in the ENERGY STAR program, FEMP-designated products which are among the highest 25 percent of equivalent products for energy efficiency.

Information about energy-efficient residential clothes washers in this section includes the following:

Also provided is a portable document format version of Purchasing Specifications for Energy-Efficient Clothes Washers (PDF 199 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

Performance Requirement for Federal Purchases
Washer Capacity Modified Energy Factora Water Factorb
1.6 to 3.5 cu. ft. 1.72 or more 8.0 or less

a Modified Energy Factor (MEF) is the number of cubic feet of clothes washed and dried per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity used. MEF is calculated by dividing the tub capacity by the total energy (clothes washer, water heater and dryer) used per wash load (10 CFR 430, sub-part B, Appendix J).
b Water Factor (WF) is the number of gallons per cubic foot of capacity that the clothes washer uses per cycle.

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Buying Energy-Efficient Clothes Washers

When buying residential and family-size commercial clothes washers use the Modified Energy Factor (MEF) instead of the annual energy consumption (kWh/year) shown on the yellow EnergyGuide label. While both measures include the energy used by the washer and water heater, MEF adds that used by the dryer. Since some clothes washers are more effective at spinning moisture from clothing, resulting in less time and energy needed for drying, MEF is a more accurate indicator of performance. Buyers should also look for products with low water factors (WF), a performance metric for comparing clothes washer water consumption independent of capacity. WF is the total water used per cycle divided by the machine's capacity (in cu. ft.) A lower value indicates a more efficient washer. Specify or select products that are ENERGY STAR-qualified (see For More Information), all of which meet the MEF and WF shown in the above Performance Requirement table.

Family-sized commercial clothes washers are similar to residential clothes washers in size, performance, features, and connections. The commercial products have sturdier frames and mechanical components, a modified control panel with fewer control settings, and feature a coin box, debit card reader or other revenue collecting device.

Performance requirements apply to all forms of procurements, including: guide and project specifications; construction, renovation, repair, maintenance and energy service contracts, lease agreements and solicitations for offers. Energy performance requirements should be included in all evaluations of solicitation responses. Model language to assist agencies with incorporating these performance requirements into procurement documents is available here.

The federal supply source for clothes washers is the General Services Administration (GSA) which sells them through its Multiple Awards Schedules program and on-line shopping network, GSA Advantage! Note that not all clothes washers sold by GSA are ENERGY STAR-qualified and some that do qualify may not be indicated as such. When buying clothes washers through this source, check the make and model number against the list of qualified products on the ENERGY STAR web site to assure they meet this Specification.

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User Tips

A substanial amount of the energy used for clothes washing is for heating the water. Selecting cold water wash cycles will save energy; appropriate load-size settings will save both water and energy. ENERGY STAR-qualified clothes washers use less water than standard models while cleaning just as well.

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Cost-Effectiveness Example
Performance Base Modela Required Best Availableb
Modified Energy Factor 1.26 1.72 2.19
Annual Electricity Usec 1,030 kWh 750 kWh 590 kWh
Annual Energy Cost $60 $45 $35
Lifetime Energy Cost $580 $425 $335
Water Factor (gallons/cu. ft./cycle) 10.4 8.0 4.0
Annual Water Use 13,500 gallons 10,350 gallons 5,175 gallons
Annual Water & Sewer Cost $55 $40 $20
Lifetime Water & Sewer Cost $575 $440 $220
Lifetime Utilities Costd $1,155 $865 $555
Lifetime Utilities Cost Savings — $290 $600

a The efficiency (MEF) of the Base Model is the minimum allowed by current US DOE appliance standards.
b More efficient products may have been introduced to the market since this specification was published. Information on the best available model was obtained from the ENERGY STAR residential clothes washers products list (see For More Information).
c Includes energy for washing, drying and water heating. This value is not the same as that shown on the EnergyGuide label.
d Lifetime utilities cost is the sum of the discounted value of the annual electricity, water, and sewer costs based on average usage and an assumed clothes washer life of 13 years. Future energy price trends and a discount rate of 3.0% are based on federal guidelines (effective from April, 2006 to March, 2007). Future water and sewer costs are conservatively assumed to increase only at the rate of inflation.

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Cost-Effectiveness Assumptions

In this example, annual energy use is calculated with the standard DOE test procedure for a residential clothes washer with a 3.3 cubic foot capacity cleaning 392 loads per year. The assumed electricity price is 6¢ per kWh, the average at federal facilities in the US. The assumed water and sewer cost is $4.00 per 1,000 gallons.

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Using the Cost-Effectiveness Table

In the example shown above, when using electric water heating and drying, the Required clothes washer is cost-effective if its purchase price is no more than $290 above the price of the Base Model. The Best Available model is cost-effective if its price is no more than $600 above the Base Model. These savings will be less if natural gas is used for water heating and/or drying.

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What if my EnergyUtility Prices or Usage are different?

ENERGY STAR has an EXCEL-based cost calculator for clothes washers on it's Web site, click on Savings Calculator – Clothes Washers. Select the water heater type from the pull-down menu then input the number of loads per week plus the rates for electricity, natural gas and water. The output section will automatically display results that better reflect your conditions.

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For More Information

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