Read This Before You Redo Your Laundry Room

The connections in your laundry room will likely dictate your choice. But if you have both a gas hookup and a 240-volt outlet, go for gas. It costs about $50 to $100 more than an electric model, but it's cheaper to operate over the long haul—15 to 20 cents per load, compared with 30 to 40 cents for electric. Considering that the average American family does 300 loads of laundry a year, that's an annual energy savings of $45 to $60 with gas.