Tumble dryer Electricity Cost & Wattage
What a tumble dryer costs to run: typical 2.5 kWh/cycle, about $66 a year. Adjust the figures to your own usage and electricity price.
Your Tumble dryer running cost
Costs about
/ year
- Per cycle
- Per week
- Energy per year
Set energy per cycle to match your usual programme.
Typical wattage
| Energy per cycle | 2.5 kWh |
|---|---|
| Typical use | 3 cycles/week |
A tumble dryer is usually the most expensive appliance in the laundry room to run, often costing several times more per cycle than the washing machine that came before it. The reason is simple: drying works by heating air to drive water out of the fabric, and sustained heat needs a lot of energy. A conventional vented or condenser dryer uses roughly 2 to 4 kWh per cycle, so at typical electricity prices a single load can cost as much as a small weekly shop item. This page measures cost per cycle, which is the honest way to compare programmes and machine types.
The type of dryer makes an enormous difference. Vented and standard condenser models heat fresh air and throw the warmth away, while heat-pump dryers recycle it and can use half the energy or less for the same load — though they run longer and cost more to buy. Sensor-drying models that stop when the clothes are dry, rather than running a fixed timer, also avoid wasting energy on already-dry laundry. Enter your dryer's energy per cycle and weekly loads above to see where yours lands.
The cheapest dryer of all is the one you do not run. Air-drying on a rack or line costs nothing, and a fast spin on the washing machine beforehand removes more water mechanically — which is far cheaper than removing it with heat — so the dryer has less to do. Even splitting the difference, line-drying when the weather allows and using the dryer only in winter, noticeably lowers the yearly laundry bill.
How to cut tumble dryer running costs
- Air-dry on a rack or line whenever you can — it is the biggest saving of all.
- Use a high spin speed on the washing machine first so there is less water to remove.
- Choose sensor drying over timed cycles so it stops when clothes are actually dry.
- Clean the lint filter every load; a clogged filter makes the dryer run longer.
- If buying, a heat-pump dryer uses about half the energy of a vented model per load.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the tumble dryer so much more expensive than the washer?
Drying removes water with sustained heat, which needs far more energy than washing. A dryer cycle often uses two to four times the electricity of a wash, which is why air-drying saves so much.
How much does one dryer cycle cost?
At about 2.5 kWh a cycle and $0.17/kWh, roughly $0.43 per load for a conventional dryer. A heat-pump model can halve that; a large hot load on an old vented dryer costs more.
Are heat-pump dryers worth it?
For frequent use, usually yes. They cost more upfront and run longer, but use about half the energy per load, so the running-cost saving adds up over the years for households that dry often.