Which one actually costs less to run?
Every ranking here is priced from the same two places: the government's own appliance registry and a state's regulated reference electricity rate. No manufacturer marketing, no sponsored slots. Each table names the state it is priced for and lets you switch it to yours.
This is the same setting as “Set your location” in the header, so it follows you to the calculators too.
Washing machines$35/yrcheapest to runThe cheapest 8kg front loaders to run in NSW
Ranked by the registry's own kWh-per-load test figure, cheapest first, the top 6 of the 217 plain 8kg front loaders on the register, at 5 loads a week on NSW’s reference rate. Washing machines are the only category here ranked at more than one capacity so far; the other four rank a single class each.
Top 6 of 217 registered plain 8kg front loaders · tied models take one rank between them · energyrating.gov.au
4 models here tie at 0.49 kWh/load: the registry ranks the tested figure, not the brand. Tied models take one rank between them rather than a numbered slot each, which is why a top-6 list can end at a lower rank than 6.
Dishwashers$25/yrcheapest to runThe cheapest 14-place-setting dishwashers to run in NSW
Ranked by the registry’s own kWh-per-cycle test figure, cheapest first, the top 6 of 377 registered 14-place-setting dishwashers, at 5 cycles a week on NSW’s reference rate.
Top 6 of 377 registered 14-place-setting dishwashers · tied models take one rank between them · energyrating.gov.au
2 models here tie at 0.52 kWh/cycle: the registry ranks the tested figure, not the brand. Tied models take one rank between them rather than a numbered slot each, which is why a top-6 list can end at a lower rank than 6.
See the 10 cheapest 14-place-setting dishwashers to run in NSW · Eco vs normal cycle, state by state · Cheapest vs cheapest rival brand
Dryers$121/yrcheapest to runThe cheapest 8kg dryers to run in NSW
Top 6 of 260 8kg dryers by kWh-per-load, at 4 loads a week on NSW’s rate.
Top 6 of 260 registered 8kg dryers · tied models take one rank between them · energyrating.gov.au
2 models here tie at 1.88 kWh/load and another 2 tie at 2.12 kWh/load: the registry ranks the tested figure, not the brand. Tied models take one rank between them rather than a numbered slot each, which is why a top-6 list can end at a lower rank than 6.
Fridges$50/yrcheapest to runThe cheapest 400–500 L fridges to run in NSW
Top 6 of 514 registered 400–500 L fridges by kWh a year, on NSW’s rate.
Top 6 of 514 registered 400–500 L fridges · energyrating.gov.au
TVs$21/yrcheapest to runThe cheapest 55-inch TVs to run in NSW
Top 6 of 798 55-inch TVs by tested watts, at 4 hours a night on NSW’s rate.
Top 6 of 798 registered 55-inch TVs · tied models take one rank between them · energyrating.gov.au
2 models here tie at 64 kWh/yr and another 2 tie at 70 kWh/yr: the registry ranks the tested figure, not the brand. Tied models take one rank between them rather than a numbered slot each, which is why a top-6 list can end at a lower rank than 6.
No guesswork, no sponsored slots in these rankings
Three rules every comparison on this page follows.
Real regulated rates
Every dollar figure uses a state’s current regulated reference electricity tariff (the AER Default Market Offer or the equivalent elsewhere), not a national average that’s wrong for most readers. Every ranking above is priced for the state named in its own heading, and they all start on NSW until you say otherwise. The picker above them and “Set your location” in the header are the same setting, so changing either one changes both.
Official test data
Rankings run on the energyrating.gov.au registration database, the same test figures behind the yellow star label, not a manufacturer’s marketing spec.
No paid placement
Cheapest-to-run always sits at the top. Nobody can buy a better rank on this page, and none of these cards are ads.
Four choices, with a full state table behind each
Each card gives the cheapest and priciest state. The guide behind it prices all eight.
Heat pump vs electric hot water: running costs
A family of four saves $716 a year in the ACT and up to $995 in South Australia switching an electric storage tank for a heat pump.
Read the guideGas vs reverse cycle: heating costs compared
A reverse cycle split saves $177 over a winter in Queensland and up to $524 in Tasmania against a gas space heater doing the same job.
Read the guidePortable vs split system: which costs less to run?
A split system saves $59 over a summer in the ACT and up to $82 in South Australia against a portable of the same cooling size.
Read the guideEco vs Normal Dishwasher Cycle: What Switching Actually Saves
Switching from normal to eco saves between $24 a year in the ACT and $33 in South Australia, a cut of about a third in energy every cycle.
Read the guideWant your own number?
Every comparison here is built on the same calculators anyone can run for their own appliance and their own state.
Browse all calculators →