Quick answer: A full load in a typical vented or condenser tumble dryer uses about 4.3 to 4.5 kWh, roughly £1.18 per load under the Ofgem price cap of 26.32p per kWh. A heat pump dryer uses about 1.7 kWh, around 45p.
Tumble dryers are one of the biggest electricity users in British homes. The type of dryer matters more than anything else.
Tumble dryer cost per load
| Dryer type | Energy per load | UK per load | UK per month (16 loads) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump dryer, full load | 1.7 kWh | 45p | £7.16 |
| Vented dryer, full load | 4.3 kWh | £1.13 | £18.11 |
| Condenser dryer, full load | 4.5 kWh | £1.18 | £18.95 |
Cost per hour
A vented or condenser dryer draws about 2.5 kW while heating, around 66p an hour; a heat pump dryer draws about 800 W, around 21p an hour, but runs longer.
Tumble dryer cost calculator
Appliance electricity cost calculator
Find what an appliance costs to run, then add it to your monthly estimate.
- Per hour of use
- –
- Per day
- –
- Per year
- –
- Energy per month
- –
My monthly estimate
Add appliances to see how they add up on your bill.
Estimates only. Real costs depend on your appliance, how you use it and your tariff. See how we calculate.
How to dry clothes for less
- Spin harder first. Use the washing machine’s highest safe spin speed: less water means less drying time.
- Dry full loads, but don’t overfill the drum.
- Clean the lint filter every time and empty the water container or clean the condenser regularly.
- Use sensor drying instead of timed programmes.
- Line-dry when you can, or use a dehumidifier in a closed room: it typically uses a fraction of a dryer’s energy. See dehumidifier running costs.
- Consider a heat pump dryer when you replace yours if you dry several loads a week.
Frequently asked questions
Is a heat pump dryer worth the extra cost?
It saves roughly 2.8 kWh per load, about 74p. At four loads a week that is around £153.18 a year, so it pays back fastest for households that dry often.
Is it cheaper to use the dryer at night?
Only on a tariff with cheaper night-time rates, such as Economy 7 or a smart time-of-use tariff.
A real example: a year of drying
A family drying 4 loads a week in a vented or condenser dryer uses about 915 kWh a year at 4.4 kWh a load, roughly £240.88 a year under the current price cap. A heat pump dryer doing the same loads uses about 354 kWh, about £93.07, a saving of around £147.81 a year.
Heat pump dryers cost more to buy, so the saving matters most for households that dry several loads every week. If you only use the dryer in winter, line drying the rest of the year saves more than changing the machine.
Keeping your dryer efficient
- Clean the lint filter after every load. A blocked filter makes the dryer run longer.
- For condenser dryers, empty the water tank and rinse the condenser unit regularly.
- Spin clothes at the highest speed the fabric allows before drying.
- Use the sensor or auto-dry setting rather than a fixed time, so the dryer stops when clothes are dry.
- Dry loads back to back, while the drum is still warm.
More questions readers ask
Is a heated airer cheaper than a tumble dryer?
Usually. A heated airer of 200 to 300 W running for 4 hours uses about 1 kWh, about a quarter of a full tumble dryer load, though it takes much longer.
Does drying clothes indoors cause damp?
It can, because a load of washing releases litres of water into the air. Open a window or use a dehumidifier in the same room.
Sources
- Ofgem, Energy price cap.
- UK energy labels for tumble dryers (kWh per cycle).
- Our methodology.