A best-selling freestanding washing machine costs 8.69p to 13.42p a wash on its eco 40-60 programme at the October 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh. We read the energy label for each of the 20 most popular models on AO. Every one is A rated, yet the thirstiest uses 55% more electricity per wash than the most frugal.
At four washes a week that gap is worth £9.85 a year, so running cost should not decide a washing machine on its own. What the audit did turn up is a listing problem: two of the 20 AO pages show the energy label for a different model, and three more give figures that disagree with the label beside them.
What we found, 9 November 2026
- All 20 are A rated. They use 33 to 51 kWh per 100 eco 40-60 cycles.
- Per wash: 8.69p (Hisense WF3S8043BT3) to 13.42p (Bosch WGG254Z1GB and Beko B3W31041W).
- Per year at four washes a week: £18.07 to £27.92 in electricity.
- Two AO listings show another model's label: the Candy GD 28S6-80 shows a 9kg Candy's, and the Hotpoint NSWM 946 BS UK shows the NSWR 946 BS UK's.
- Three AO spec tables disagree with the label or the maker on energy or water, and three leave the water figure out.
Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 9 November 2026 · next check 1 January 2027 · how we picked
All 20, cheapest to run first
| # | Model | AO price | Load | kWh per 100 cycles | Per wash | Per year | Per kg per wash | Water per wash | Eco cycle length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hisense WF3S8043BT3 | £279 | 8 kg | 33 | 8.69p | £18.07 | 1.09p | 36 L | 3:38 |
| 2 | Hisense WF3S9043BB3 | £289 | 9 kg | 34 | 8.95p | £18.61 | 0.99p | 39 L | 3:48 |
| 3 | Candy GD 28S6-80 | £229 | 8 kg | 38 | 10.00p | £20.80 | 1.25p | 40 L | 3:28 |
| 4 | Indesit IMA 762 MY TIME UK | £219 | 7 kg | 39 | 10.26p | £21.35 | 1.47p | 43 L | 3:28 |
| 5 | Hisense WF1I9042BBP2 | £279 | 9 kg | 40 | 10.53p | £21.90 | 1.17p | 45 L | 3:48 |
| 6 | Candy EY 410B8-80 | £249 | 10 kg | 41 | 10.79p | £22.45 | 1.08p | 44 L | 3:58 |
| 7 | Hisense WF3S1043BT3 | £349 | 10.5 kg | 41 | 10.79p | £22.45 | 1.03p | 41 L | 3:59 |
| 8 | Hoover HBR 410BL8-80 | £299 | 10 kg | 41 | 10.79p | £22.45 | 1.08p | 47 L | 3:58 |
| 9 | Beko BW1O3842W | £229 | 8 kg | 42 | 11.05p | £22.99 | 1.38p | 47 L | 3:38 |
| 10 | Indesit IMA 864 MY TIME UK | £249 | 8 kg | 42 | 11.05p | £22.99 | 1.38p | 47 L | 3:38 |
| 11 | Hisense WF5I9043BTFS | £369 | 9 kg | 44 | 11.58p | £24.09 | 1.29p | 40 L | 3:48 |
| 12 | Samsung WW90CGC04DAE | £399 | 9 kg | 44 | 11.58p | £24.09 | 1.29p | 50 L | 3:48 |
| 13 | Bosch Series 2 WGE03408GB | £399 | 8 kg | 46 | 12.11p | £25.18 | 1.51p | 47 L | 3:33 |
| 14 | Comfee CFN13E81/W-UK | £219 | 8 kg | 46 | 12.11p | £25.18 | 1.51p | 48 L | 3:38 |
| 15 | Beko BM3WT3841W | £269 | 8 kg | 47 | 12.37p | £25.73 | 1.55p | 47 L | 3:38 |
| 16 | Hotpoint NSWM 846 BS UK | £279 | 8 kg | 47 | 12.37p | £25.73 | 1.55p | 48 L | 3:38 |
| 17 | Hotpoint NSWA 946 WW UK | £329 | 9 kg | 49 | 12.90p | £26.83 | 1.43p | 50 L | 3:45 |
| 18 | Hotpoint NSWM 946 BS UK | £299 | 9 kg | 49 | 12.90p | £26.83 | 1.43p | 50 L | 3:45 |
| 19 | Beko B3W31041W | £284 | 10 kg | 51 | 13.42p | £27.92 | 1.34p | 51 L | 3:48 |
| 20 | Bosch Series 6 WGG254Z1GB | £499 | 10 kg | 51 | 13.42p | £27.92 | 1.34p | 50 L | 3:50 |
Every machine is an A, and that tells you nothing
The letter has stopped separating washing machines. AO's own filter for freestanding models shows 286 rated A, 1 rated B and none lower. Among the 20 best-sellers the A covers everything from 33 kWh per 100 cycles to 51.
Load size explains some of it. The label rates efficiency for the capacity, so a 10kg drum can use more per cycle and still earn an A. Per kilogram of laundry, the 9kg Hisense WF3S9043BB3 is the cheapest here at 0.99p, and the 10kg Hisense WF3S1043BT3 and Hoover HBR 410BL8-80 are close behind. The 7kg Indesit IMA 762 is cheap per wash but costs 1.47p per kilogram, because it holds less.
Two listings show the wrong energy label
The energy label is the document a retailer is required to show for each machine, so it is the figure most buyers trust. On two of AO's 20 best-sellers it belongs to a different machine.
- Candy GD 28S6-80 (8kg, 1200 rpm): the label on AO's page is for the Candy GD 298-80, a 9kg model, showing 40 kWh and 42 litres. AO's spec table repeats those figures. Candy's own UK page for the GD 28S6-80 gives 38 kWh per 100 cycles, 40 litres and a 3 hour 28 minute eco cycle. We used Candy's figures.
- Hotpoint NSWM 946 BS UK: the label shown is for the NSWR 946 BS UK. Its figures, 49 kWh and 50 litres, match AO's spec table for the NSWM, so the cost is unaffected, but the label is not the one for the machine on sale.
Figures that disagree on the same page
- Hisense WF3S1043BT3: the label says 41 kWh per 100 cycles; AO's spec table says 43.
- Hoover HBR 410BL8-80: the label says 47 litres a wash; AO's spec table says 42.
- Comfee CFN13E81/W-UK: AO lists 46 kWh both as energy per 100 cycles and as "Annual Energy Consumption". The label figure is per 100 cycles, not per year.
- Samsung WW90CGC04DAE: AO's spec table gives no energy or water figure at all. The Bosch WGG254Z1GB and WGE03408GB give no water figure.
In each case we used the energy label, which is the document the manufacturer is responsible for.
What the label figure leaves out
The kWh on the label is for the eco 40-60 programme only, averaged over full, half and quarter loads. It is the efficient programme, and it is slow: 3 hours 28 minutes to 3 hours 59 minutes at full load on these machines. A quick wash or a hot 60°C cycle will use more, so treat these figures as the floor for each machine rather than an average for every wash.
Which to choose
- If running cost matters most, the Hisense WF3S8043BT3 (8kg) and WF3S9043BB3 (9kg) use the least electricity of the best-sellers, per wash and per kilogram.
- If you are choosing between two machines on running cost alone, the most you can save among these 20 is £9.85 a year at four washes a week. Price and load size will usually matter more.
- Check the model code on the energy label matches the one you are buying.
- Use the eco 40-60 programme where you can. It is the cycle these costs are measured on.
How we worked it out
| Item | What we did |
|---|---|
| Which models | AO's freestanding washing machine range, sorted by "Most Popular", 60 per page. We took the first 20 distinct models and skipped colour variants of a model already counted. |
| Energy and water | Read from the UK or EU energy label image on each AO product page. For the Candy GD 28S6-80, whose AO label belongs to another model, from Candy's UK product page. |
| Electricity rate | 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, direct debit, Great Britain average. Standing charge excluded. |
| Washes a year | 208, four a week. This is our illustration. Scale it to your own use. |
| Prices | AO's non-member prices on 9 November 2026. Black Friday prices change daily. |
| Rounding | Pence rounded once, at the end of each sum. |
What this audit could not check
- We have not used or measured any of these machines. Every figure is from an energy label or a maker's page.
- How much each uses on programmes other than eco 40-60. Makers do not publish that in a comparable form.
- The cost of the water. It varies by water company and by whether you are metered.
- Washing results or reliability, which matter more than a few pence a wash.
Common questions
How much does a washing machine cost to run per wash in the UK?
On the eco 40-60 programme, the 20 best-selling freestanding machines on AO cost 8.69p to 13.42p a wash at the October 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh. That comes from each machine's energy label. Hotter or faster programmes use more.
Are all A-rated washing machines equally cheap to run?
No. All 20 best-sellers are A rated, but they use 33 to 51 kWh per 100 eco cycles, so the thirstiest uses 55% more electricity than the most frugal. Compare the kWh figure on the label, not the letter.
How much does a washing machine cost to run a year?
At four eco washes a week, 208 a year, the 20 best-sellers cost £18.07 to £27.92 a year in electricity at 26.32p per kWh. Water is extra and depends on your water company.
Why is the eco 40-60 programme so long?
Eco 40-60 is the programme the energy label is measured on, and it saves energy partly by washing for longer at a lower temperature. On these 20 machines it runs 3 hours 28 minutes to 3 hours 59 minutes at full load.
Which washing machine is cheapest to run?
Of AO's 20 best-sellers, the Hisense WF3S8043BT3 (8kg, 33 kWh per 100 cycles, 8.69p a wash). Per kilogram of laundry, the 9kg Hisense WF3S9043BB3 is cheapest at 0.99p.
Compare more
This audit is one of five. The energy label audit puts all 100 best-sellers side by side and shows where the letter on the label stops matching the bill.
More from the same label audits: freezer running costs (all 20 best-sellers E rated, £41 to £66 a year) and TV running costs (£10 to £50 a year, HDR more than doubles some sets).
- Fridge freezer running costs UK: 20 best-sellers, £48 to £68 a year
- Cheapest way to dry clothes UK
- Best washing machine cleaners UK: what the empty hot cycle costs
- UK Running Cost Index
Not every appliance has a label to read. Hair care appliances are not on the list of 17 product groups that need one, which is why our hair straighteners guide had to cost them a different way.
Sources
- Ofgem, changes to the energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026
- AO, freestanding washing machines sorted by Most Popular, the 20 product pages in the table and the energy label shown on each
- Candy UK, GD 28S6-80 (38 kWh per 100 cycles, 40 litres, 3:28)
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