Energy Use of GE Home Appliances

Washing Machines

• GE sells about 30 models of new washing machines, with about 75 percent of them earning the Energy Star designation as of 2011. With 3 to 4 cubic feet of capacity, small GE washers can use about $15 to $20 worth of electricity annually with an electric water heater or $11 to $13 with a gas water heater. Expect to spend $21 to $28 on electricity each year to operate a 5-cubic-foot GE washer with an electric water heater. If you have a gas water heater, your costs will total about $16 to $18 annually. GE washing machines consume 142 to 263 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
  
  

Refrigerators

• Expect to see an Energy Star label on about 150 of GE's 240 refrigerator models as of 2011. Models with 15.5 cubic feet of capacity cost about $39 a year to operate, consuming about 363 kilowatt hours. Refrigerators holding around 18 cubic feet of food consume about 387 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, resulting in a cost of about $42 a year. A GE refrigerator with 22 cubic feet of capacity costs about $49 a year to operate and needs 463 kilowatt hours of electricity. Appliances with 28.5 cubic feet of space use around 550 kilowatt hours every 12 months; expect them to cost you $59 a year to run.
  
  

Freezers

• You can choose from five chest freezers in GE's appliance roster. One with 5 cubic feet of capacity costs about $26 to operate, using about 240 kilowatt hours annually as of 2011. The manufacturer's mid-sized model offers 14.9 cubic feet of space. Expect to spend $42 a year to provide the 397 kilowatt hours it needs. GE's largest chest freezer holds 24.9 cubic feet of food. It costs $61 a year to run and consumes 568 kilowatt hours. The largest upright freezer offered by GE holds 20.6 cubic feet of food. It has an annual operating cost of $56 and uses 526 kilowatt hours.
  
  

Dishwashers

• About 100 appliances fall into GE's dishwasher category, with nearly all of them earning the Energy Star designation as of 2011. Standard models are 24 inches wide and comprise the majority of GE's inventory. They cost about $35 a year to operate with an electric water heater and $25 to run with a gas water heater, consuming about 325 kilowatt hours of electricity. GE's 18-inch-wide models can be a good fit in tight kitchens. These cost around $30 a year to run with an electric water heater and need 305 kilowatt hours of electricity every 12 months. Using them with a gas water heater will cost you about $23 each year.