How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer

The average cost to run a dryer for an hour depends on the power consumed by the dryer in an hour. Some dryers are electric and others run on gas, but electric dryers notoriously consume more energy than gas dryers do. Overall, dryers in the U.S. emit 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and use 43 billion kilowatt hours and 443 million therms of natural gas.

Electric Dryer

The label on the back of the dryer should indicate the watts it uses. Electric companies charge by the kilowatt hour, so calculating how much it costs to run an electric dryer starts with finding out the kilowatts it takes to run the dryer for an hour. The formula for determining usage is watts times the hours used divided by 1,000 to get the total kilowatt hours. Average dryers use between 1,800 to 5,000 watts or 1.8 to 5 kilowatt hours -- 1,800 and 5,000 times one hour divided by 1,000. Using Northern California PG&E rates at $.14 per kilowatt hour for an example, most electric dryers average between $.25 and $.70 to run for an hour.

Gas Dryer

Gas dryers use electricity to run the motor but gas to dry the clothes. Since gas dryers are rated in British Thermal Units, you need to convert the BTUs to therms, which is how the utility company charges for gas. A typical dryer uses between approximately 11,000 BTUs per hour because the gas cycles on and off during the drying time. One therm equals 100,000 BTUs, which means a dryer uses .11 therm per hour. The gas costs roughly $.11 for an hour. Electricity to power the drum uses .15 per kilowatt hour, resulting in a cost of $.12 per hour to run the dryer.

Cutting Costs

To cut the costs of running a dryer for an hour, group similar fabric types together when drying. Instead of mixing heavy-duty jeans with T-shirts and socks, dry the lighter fabrics in a separate load for a faster load. Don't put dripping wet clothes into the dryer, as it will take longer than an hour for the dryer to work. Take advantage of the dryer's retained heat by drying a second load after the first. Double-check the lint trap before drying, and remove any lint to help the dryer operate at peak efficiency.

Clothesline

The most inexpensive way to dry clothes is to use a clothesline and air-dry clothes for free. Fabrics smell fresher when dried outdoors. After removing dried items from the clothesline, toss into the dryer with a fabric softener sheet for 15 minutes to soften stiff items. If you don't want to go to the trouble of hanging all your laundry on a clothesline, consider hanging heavy jeans and towels on the line and just using the dryer for quick-drying items.

Tumble dryers might offer a quick way to dry your clothes – but how much does a tumble dryer cost to run?

With temperatures dropping, it’s not very practical to dry clothes outside. But with energy bills going up, many people will be worried about the costs of running a tumble dryer.

Despite the Energy Price Guarantee (opens in new tab) in to force from 1 October, energy bills are a lot higher than they were last year, leaving families concerned about how much their energy bills will cost over the winter. A key way to keep bills as low as possible is to reduce how much energy you use. And to reduce your energy usage, it helps to understand which appliances cost the most to run.

Energy saving expert Jack Ferguson, from Quotezone.co.uk (opens in new tab), says: “The tumble dryer is probably the most feared appliance in the home, as everyone thinks it costs a fortune to run – but given the UK’s climate, most of us need to use it to get the laundry turned around quickly.”

How much does a tumble dryer cost to run?

Right now, an average 8kg tumble dryer will cost between £91.80 and £198.90 per year to run. But the exact figure will depend on the type, specification and energy rating of your tumble dryer as well as how often you use it. Those with larger families will likely need to use their tumble dryer more often than someone who lives alone. They might also have a larger capacity dryer that uses more energy to dry clothes.

There are three different types of tumble dryer available:

• condenser
• vented
• heat pump.

Let’s look at the running costs for an example of each type. For our calculation, we’ll use 8kg models in our examples (which should be suitable for medium sized families) and assume that the tumble dryer will be used about twice a week. 

The Energy Price Guarantee means that the price of electricity is currently about 34p per kilowatt hour (kWh). 

Running costs for a vented tumble dryer

An 8kg example vented tumble dryer uses an average 5.85kWh of electricity on each use, which is around 585kWh each year. This means you can expect to pay roughly £1.99 per use or £198.90 per year. 

Running costs for a condenser tumble dryer

An 8kg example of a condenser tumble dryer uses 5.6kWh of electricity for a standard cycle and roughly 560kWh per year. This works out as £1.90 per use or £190.40 per year.

Heat pump tumble dryer running costs

An 8kg example of a heat pump tumble dryer, uses 2.18kWh of electricity for each standard cycle, and roughly 270kWh per year. This then means this kind of tumble dryer will cost 74p per use or £91.80 per year. 

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Header Cell - Column 0Per usePer yearCondenser tumble dryer£1.90£190.40Vented tumble dryer£1.99£198.90Heat pump tumble dryer74p£91.80

Which tumble dryer is the cheapest to run?

The cheapest type of tumble dryer to run is a heat pump tumble dryer, costing around 54% less to run than a vented or condenser version. But they're not necessarily the cheapest way to dry clothes (opens in new tab). 

Laundry product manager at appliance manufacturer Haier Europe, Ben Peach (opens in new tab), said: “Heat pump dryers are, by far, the most economical type of tumble dryer. Comparing heat pumps to condensers, they are over 50% more energy efficient. 

“This translates to significant energy bill savings (about £1,000 over four years – based on 34p kwh and 264 uses).” 

However, heat pump dryers tend to cost more to buy than condenser tumble dryers. You can expect to pay at least £500 for a heat pump tumble dryer, with top models costing more than £1,000.

(Image credit: Future)

What affects how much a tumble dryer costs to run?

It is not just the type of tumble dryers that will affect the cost of running, you also need to consider the model's energy rating. All household appliances come with energy ratings of A+++ all the way down to G, with an A+++ rating being the most energy efficient, and a G rated appliance being the least energy efficient. 

In its guide to buying efficient home appliances (opens in new tab), the Energy Saving Trust estimates that buying a highest-rated A+++ tumble dryer can save you approximately £455 a year over an A-rated one.  

What features should you look for when buying a tumble dryer?

Sensor drying

Most tumble dryers now have a sensor drying feature. This works out how long your clothes need to dry and will turn off the dryer when the clothes are dry, rather than continuing to the end of the cycle unnecessarily.  

Lower temperatures

Look out for various temperature settings if you want to buy a new tumble dryer. While it is tempting to whack the tumble dryer up to its highest heat setting and get your washing done, drying on lower temperature settings will use less energy while also protecting your clothes.

Auto-cleaning

 Cleaning out the tumble dryer is not always the most pleasant of tasks, but it is sure to keep it running efficiently. A tumble dryer with an auto-cleaning feature not only does the job for you, but it likely does a better job than you. This feature uses water collected during the drying phase to clean away fluff at the end of each cycle, so you're not using any additional energy to keep the dryer in great condition.  

How can you reduce the cost of running a tumble dryer? 

The best way to reduce the running costs of your tumble dryer is to use it less often. You could reduce the number of washes you do each week, which will in turn reduce how often you need to use your tumble dryer. Or, if you can’t reduce how often you put the washing on, then you could, try to dry clothes using a clothes horse or a radiator (or on mild, dry days, you could still dry them outside on a washing line).   

“Try to use a clothesline outdoors when you can but if you must use the tumble dryer, think about the time of day for using it,” suggests energy saving expert Jack Ferguson, “If you have solar panels then aim for the peak periods around noon, or if you have off-peak electricity (e.g. economy 7), then try to use it then – some appliances have a handy timer function which can help.”

But there are other hacks that can help you avoid wasting energy when it comes to your tumble dryer. 

Avoid light loads

If you do need to use your tumble dryer, make sure you are drying a full load. It’ll use the same amount of energy to dry a smaller load as a larger one. But careful you don’t overfill the dryer as this means clothes will take longer to dry and might still be damp when the cycle ends.  

Untangle your clothes

Before putting the laundry in your tumble dryer give each item a shake to smooth out any crumples so they can tumble effectively in the drum. Especially keep an eye on balled up socks - they might feel dry when they come out, but you’ll notice their still damp once they are un-balled.  

Try tumble dryer balls

Not only can tumble dryer balls help to soften laundry, they can also help to reduce drying times by up to 25%. Throw them in with your laundry and they will help lift and separate the laundry through the drying process, allowing the hot air to flow more efficiently and dry your clothes quicker. You can buy a pack of six from Amazon for less than £10 (opens in new tab).  

Maintenance is key

Making sure your dryer is well maintained will also help keep costs down. This means keeping it free of dust and lint which can clog up the filter and extend drying times. 

AO.com (opens in new tab) expert, Naeem Adam, says: “Remove the lint filter regularly to clean it so your tumble dryer doesn’t need to work as hard. Check your manufacturer’s instructions as to whether you can use a bit of warm water to clean your filter. Use a vacuum cleaner with a narrow attachment to get up any last bits of lint.

“If you have a vented tumble dryer, check your vent, too. Unplug the vent hose and check it over to make sure it’s all in good working order. Replace the hose if you find any signs of damage.” 

Laundry appliance expert Ben Peach agrees, saying: “Lint filters should be cleaned after every use, by gently ‘scraping’ lint from the internal surface of the filter. It’s vital that this is done with each cycle, as failure to remove lint will result in a build-up, which has the potential to pose a fire risk. 

“The filter is usually located just inside the door, rim or behind a panel at the front of the dryer and should be pulled out of the machine for thorough cleaning — but you should always make sure the appliance has cooled down before you clean it.”   

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