Tumble Dryer & Dryer Cost Calculator: How Much Does a Dryer Cost to Run?
Find out how much each load of laundry costs and what your tumble dryer adds to your annual energy bill. Works for any dryer type — standard vented electric, condenser, heat pump tumble dryer, gas — with verified rate data for the UK, US, Canada and Australia.
Last verified: June 7, 2026 · Methodology · Editorial standards
Muhammad founded KilowattKit after spending hours trying to decode confusing electricity bills and realising there were no clear, jargon-free tools for ordinary homeowners. He researches energy rates, solar payback, EV charging, and heat pump economics across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia — sourcing every figure directly from official government and regulatory data.
Cost to Run a Tumble Dryer / Dryer: UK vs US vs Canada vs Australia
Running costs vary significantly by country because residential electricity rates do. These figures assume a standard 5,000W vented electric dryer running 5 loads per week (260 loads per year), at each country’s official average rate.
| Country | Avg Rate | Cost / Load | Annual Cost | Heat Pump Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $0.1745/kWh | $0.73 | $190 | $82 (save $108) |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 27.5p/kWh | £1.15 | £298 | £128 (save £170) |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | C$0.185/kWh | C$0.77 | C$200 | C$86 (save C$114) |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | A$0.32/kWh | A$1.33 | A$347 | A$148 (save A$199) |
Rates verified quarterly from EIA (US), Ofgem (UK), Natural Resources Canada and the Australian Energy Regulator. National averages mask significant regional variation — see the country sections below for state and provincial detail.
🇬🇧 How much does a tumble dryer cost to run in the UK?
The average UK tumble dryer costs around £1.15 per load to run on a standard vented or condenser model, based on the Ofgem-capped average unit rate of 27.5p per kWh. For a household running 5 loads per week — the UK average — that adds up to roughly £298 per year just for drying laundry, making the tumble dryer one of the most expensive appliances in a typical British home.
The cost varies sharply by tumble dryer type. A standard vented electric model (around 5,000W) uses roughly 4.2 kWh per load and costs £1.15 per cycle. A condenser model (2,500W) drops slightly to around £0.96 per load. The biggest savings come from a heat pump tumble dryer — at around 1,000W it uses just 1.8 kWh per load, costing about £0.50 to run. Over a year that’s £128 instead of £298, saving £170 annually.
Unit rates vary slightly by region (London and the South East typically pay a few pence more per kWh) and by tariff type — fixed deals can save 5 to 8 percent over the cap. If you’re on Economy 7 or another time-of-use tariff, running the tumble dryer overnight off-peak can cut running cost by 50 percent or more.
Worked example: A 5,000W tumble dryer running 50 minutes uses 4.17 kWh × £0.275 = £1.15 per load, or £298 per year at 5 loads per week.
🇺🇸 How much does a dryer cost to run in the US? Gas vs electric
The average US clothes dryer costs around $0.73 per load to run on a standard vented electric model, based on the EIA national average residential rate of $0.1745 per kWh. For a household running 5 loads per week, that adds up to roughly $190 per year — about 7 to 10 percent of total household electricity use.
Gas vs electric dryer cost is one of the most common questions for US households. Gas dryers cost roughly $0.15 to $0.25 per load at typical natural gas rates — significantly cheaper than electric. Over a year of normal use, a gas dryer saves roughly $80 to $100 in running costs versus a standard electric. However, gas dryers cost $50 to $150 more upfront and require a gas hookup. In states with cheap electricity (Louisiana, Washington, Idaho) the gas-electric gap narrows or disappears.
Heat pump electric dryers are the cheapest electric option to run — using about 1.8 kWh per load instead of 4.2 kWh, they cost just $0.31 per cycle. That’s $82 a year versus $190 for a standard vented electric, saving $108 annually. They are often cheaper than gas to run, particularly in states with above-average electricity rates. Time-of-use plans in California, Arizona and Texas can cut dryer running cost significantly when you shift loads to off-peak windows.
Worked example: 5,000W × 50 min = 4.17 kWh × $0.1745 = $0.73 per load, or $190 per year at 5 loads per week.
🇨🇦 How much does a dryer cost to run in Canada?
Canadian dryer running costs vary widely by province because each province sets its own electricity rates. Using the Natural Resources Canada national average of C$0.185/kWh, a standard vented dryer (5,000W, 50 minutes per load) costs about C$0.77 per load, or roughly C$200 per year at 5 loads per week.
In Quebec at around 7.4 cents/kWh, the same dryer costs just C$0.31 per load — about C$80 per year. In Ontario on a time-of-use plan, off-peak (overnight and weekends) running cost drops to roughly C$0.36 per load, versus C$0.76 at on-peak rates. In Alberta’s deregulated market and the Maritimes at 16 to 18 cents/kWh, expect C$0.67 to C$0.76 per load.
A heat pump dryer saves Canadian households roughly 60 percent of running cost in any province — about C$114 per year at the national average rate, more in higher-rate provinces. Time-of-use scheduling is the single highest-impact change Canadian households can make: setting laundry days for evening or weekend cycles in Ontario, for example, can cut dryer running cost by 50 percent with no equipment change.
Worked example: Ontario off-peak at 8.7 cents/kWh, 4.17 kWh × C$0.087 = C$0.36 per load, or roughly C$94 per year. Same dryer at on-peak Ontario rates: C$200/year.
🇦🇺 How much does a dryer cost to run in Australia?
Australian dryers are among the most expensive in the world to run because of high domestic electricity rates. Using the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) national average of A$0.32/kWh, a standard 5,000W vented dryer running 50 minutes per load costs about A$1.33 per cycle — roughly A$347 per year for a household running 5 loads per week.
State variation is significant. NSW, Victoria and Queensland sit around 26 to 35 cents/kWh, putting per-load cost at A$1.10 to A$1.45. South Australia is consistently most expensive at 35 to 42 cents/kWh, with per-load running cost of A$1.45 to A$1.75. Western Australia (regulated A1 tariff via Synergy) sits at about 30 cents/kWh.
Heat pump dryers cut running cost dramatically — about A$148 per year versus A$347 for a standard vented model, saving A$199 annually. Given high Australian electricity prices, heat pump dryers pay back faster than anywhere else: typically 3 to 5 years.
If you have rooftop solar — and over 30 percent of Australian households do — running the dryer during daylight hours essentially eliminates per-load cost, since self-consumed solar replaces imported electricity at 32 cents/kWh while exported solar earns only 5 to 12 cents in feed-in tariff. Daytime drying turns a A$1.33 per-load cost into effectively zero net cost.
Worked example: 5,000W × 50 min = 4.17 kWh × A$0.32 = A$1.33 per load, or A$347 per year at 5 loads per week.
Heat Pump Tumble Dryer vs Vented vs Condenser: Running Cost Compared
Modern dryers fall into three main electric types plus gas, with very different running costs. Choosing the right type for your household has more impact on your annual energy bill than any setting tweak. Figures below assume the US average rate; see country sections above for UK/CA/AU equivalents.
| Type | Typical Power | kWh/Load | Upfront Cost | Annual Cost (5/wk) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vented Electric | 5,000 W | 4.2 | $400–$700 | $190 |
| Condenser Electric | 2,500 W | 3.5 | $600–$1,000 | $159 |
| Heat Pump Electric | 1,000 W | 1.8 | $800–$1,500 | $82 |
| Gas (vented) | 22,000 BTU/h | N/A | $500–$850 | $60–$80 |
The verdict: Heat pump tumble dryers cost the most upfront but are by far the cheapest to run — saving $100+ per year over vented electric and breaking even in 4 to 7 years (faster in higher-rate markets like the UK and Australia). Gas dryers can be slightly cheaper still where natural gas is available, but require gas plumbing and emit combustion byproducts that must be vented outside.
Why Tumble Dryers Are One of the Most Expensive Appliances You Own
A typical electric tumble dryer pulls 5,000 watts continuously while running. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the same as running a 1,000W microwave AND a 1,500W space heater AND a 1,000W hair dryer AND a 1,500W window air conditioner — all at the same time. For nearly an hour. Multiple times a week.
This is why dryers consistently rank among the top three energy-consuming appliances in homes that have them (the others being electric water heating and HVAC). For a household running 5 loads per week year-round, the tumble dryer alone can account for 7 to 10 percent of total electricity use.
The energy isn’t wasted — it goes into heating air and turning the drum. But the conversion is inefficient compared with modern heat pump technology, which recycles heat from the exhaust air instead of dumping it outside. This is why heat pump tumble dryers use roughly one-third the energy of vented electric dryers.
7 Ways to Cut Your Tumble Dryer’s Running Cost
- Clean the lint filter before every load. A blocked filter forces the dryer to run 30 to 40 percent longer for the same result. This is the single highest-impact dryer habit — completely free, takes 10 seconds.
- Use the moisture sensor (auto-dry), not timed cycles. Timed cycles routinely over-dry by 10 to 20 minutes, wasting energy and damaging fabrics. Moisture sensors stop when clothes reach the target dryness, saving roughly 10 percent on every load.
- Dry full loads, not partial ones. A half-full dryer uses nearly the same energy as a full one. Wait until you have a full load, or use the appropriate cycle setting for partial loads.
- Separate heavy from light fabrics. Drying towels with t-shirts means the t-shirts are dry first but stay in the heat while the towels finish, wasting 15 to 25 percent of energy.
- Check the vent hose monthly. Kinked, crushed or lint-clogged vent hoses are the most common cause of long cycle times and overheating. The hose should be metal (not plastic foil), as straight as possible and under 25 feet long.
- Dry back-to-back loads. The dryer is already hot from the first load — the second load uses 5 to 10 percent less energy because the heating element doesn’t have to warm from cold.
- Line-dry when possible, or shift to off-peak. Outdoor line drying costs nothing. If you have a time-of-use tariff (UK Economy 7, Ontario TOU, Australian off-peak), running the dryer overnight or on weekends can roughly halve the cost.
How this is calculated
Tumble dryer running cost is calculated by converting wattage and cycle minutes into kWh, then multiplying by your electricity rate per kWh.
Per-load cost = (Wattage / 1000) * (Cycle minutes / 60) * Rate per kWh
UK example: (5000/1000) * (50/60) * £0.275 = £1.15 per load
US example: (5000/1000) * (50/60) * $0.1745 = $0.73 per load
AU example: (5000/1000) * (50/60) * A$0.32 = A$1.33 per load
UK heat pump: (1000/1000) * (75/60) * £0.275 = £0.34 per loadAssumptions
- Wattage is the dryer rated power input (look for W or kW on the rating plate or in the manual)
- Cycle length is the average wall-clock time for a standard load
- Output excludes the dryer standby power, which adds a few pence/cents per year and can be ignored
- Heat pump dryer cycles take longer (60–90 min) but use far less power, so total per-load energy is still much lower
- Override the default rate with the unit rate printed on your most recent bill for an accurate personal estimate
Frequently asked questions
Showing questions for United States. Change the country in the calculator above to switch.
How much does a dryer cost to run in the US?▾
A standard 5,000W vented electric dryer running 50 minutes per load costs about $0.73 per cycle at the US average of $0.1745 per kWh, or roughly $190 per year for a household running 5 loads per week. In states with higher rates (California, Massachusetts, Hawaii), expect $1.00 to $1.40 per load.
Is a gas or electric dryer cheaper to run?▾
Gas dryers cost roughly $0.15 to $0.25 per load at typical natural gas rates, compared with $0.50 to $0.80 for a standard electric dryer — saving about $80 to $100 per year. However, gas dryers cost $50 to $150 more upfront and require a gas hookup. A modern heat pump electric dryer is often cheaper to run than gas, especially in states with low electricity rates.
How many kWh does a dryer use per load?▾
A standard vented electric dryer uses around 4.2 kWh per load (5,000W running for 50 minutes). A high-capacity model uses 5 to 6 kWh. A condenser dryer uses 3 to 4 kWh, and a heat pump dryer uses just 1.8 to 2.5 kWh per load — less than half the energy of a standard model.
What is the cheapest dryer to run in the US?▾
Heat pump dryers are the cheapest electric dryers to run — about $75 per year at the US average rate versus $175 for a standard vented model. Gas dryers can be slightly cheaper still where natural gas is inexpensive, but the gap is closing as electric rates and gas rates both rise. If your utility offers a time-of-use plan, shifting loads to off-peak windows cuts running cost regardless of dryer type.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Electric Power Monthly — US average residential rate ($0.1745/kWh) used in cost calculations (last checked 2026-04-27)
- Ofgem — Default Tariff Price Cap — UK average unit rate (27.5p/kWh) used in cost calculations (last checked 2026-04-27)
- Natural Resources Canada — Electricity Rates — Canadian residential average (C$0.185/kWh) used in cost calculations (last checked 2026-04-27)
- Australian Energy Regulator — Default Market Offer — Australian single-rate residential tariff average (A$0.32/kWh) (last checked 2026-04-27)
- Energy Star — Clothes Dryer Specifications — Heat pump vs vented dryer energy consumption benchmarks (last checked 2026-04-29)
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