Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total utility cost per load
$1.02
Water + sewer cost
$0.45
Gas cost
$0.47
Electric cost
$0.10
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How to use this
- 1Enter gallons per wash load.
- 2Enter water rate ($/1000 gal).
- 3Enter sewer rate ($/1000 gal).
- 4Enter gas therms per wash+dry cycle.
- 5Enter gas rate ($/therm).
- 6Enter electric kwh per cycle.
- 7Enter electric rate ($/kWh).
- 8Read your total utility cost per load on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Utility cost is the single biggest controllable expense in laundromat operations after rent, and it's the number most new owners underestimate. A standard top-load wash uses roughly 20-40 gallons of water depending on machine efficiency and cycle selection, billed at both a water rate and a sewer rate (sewer is often billed as a multiple of water usage, sometimes 1.0-1.5x). Gas-heated water and gas dryers add therm cost on top. This calculator sums water plus sewer cost per gallon, gas cost per therm for water heating and drying, and electric cost per kWh for motors and controls, giving you a true per-load utility cost to compare against your vend price and confirm your margin per load.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Gallons per wash load: 30
- Water rate: 6.5 $/1000 gal
- Sewer rate: 8.5 $/1000 gal
- Gas therms per wash+dry cycle: 0.35
- Gas rate: 1.35 $/therm
- Electric kWh per cycle: 0.6
- Electric rate: 0.16 $/kWh
Results
- Total utility cost per load: $1.02
- Water + sewer cost: $0.45
- Gas cost: $0.47
- Electric cost: $0.10
What each field means
Inputs
- Gallons per wash load
- The gallons per wash load used in the calculation. Starts at 30 so you have a working example on load.
- Water rate ($/1000 gal)
- The water rate used in the calculation, measured in $/1000 gal. Starts at 6.5 $/1000 gal so you have a working example on load.
- Sewer rate ($/1000 gal)
- The sewer rate used in the calculation, measured in $/1000 gal. Starts at 8.5 $/1000 gal so you have a working example on load.
- Gas therms per wash+dry cycle
- The gas therms per wash+dry cycle used in the calculation. Starts at 0.35 so you have a working example on load.
- Gas rate ($/therm)
- The gas rate used in the calculation, measured in $/therm. Starts at 1.35 $/therm so you have a working example on load.
- Electric kWh per cycle
- The electric kwh per cycle used in the calculation. Starts at 0.6 so you have a working example on load.
- Electric rate ($/kWh)
- The electric rate used in the calculation, measured in $/kWh. Starts at 0.16 $/kWh so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Total utility cost per load
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Water + sewer cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gas cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Electric cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is sewer often more expensive than water itself?
Many municipalities bill sewer based on metered water usage but at a higher rate per unit because wastewater treatment costs more than supply and delivery. In some cities sewer runs 1.2-1.8x the water rate, so ignoring it understates your true water-related cost by close to half.
How much can high-efficiency machines save?
Modern high-efficiency front-load washers use 30-50% less water per load than older top-load agitator machines, which flows straight through to lower water, sewer, and gas-for-heating costs. On a machine doing 4-5 turns a day, that difference can be several hundred dollars a year per unit.
Should I pass utility costs into pricing directly?
Yes, in spirit — total utility cost per load should be under 25-30% of your vend price to leave room for rent, labor, and machine payback. If utility cost creeps toward 40% of price, you either need a rate increase or more efficient equipment.
Do dryers use gas, electric, or both?
Most commercial dryers use gas for heat and electric for the drum motor and controls, which is why this calculator separates the two. All-electric dryers exist but usually cost more to run per cycle in areas where gas is cheaper than electric per equivalent heat unit.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Laundromat Utility Cost Per Load Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-utility-cost-per-load
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-utility-cost-per-load" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laundromat Utility Cost Per Load Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Laundromat Utility Cost Per Load Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/laundromat-utility-cost-per-load) (2026).