Using a clothes dryer three times a week will use about 468 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. It costs an average of $5.53 to run a dryer for a month and $66.41 to run for a year. The best way to save on electricity is to install solar panels.
Electric dryers span a wide range of wattages, from about 2,000 to 6,000 watts. That translates to about 2 to 6 kWh of electricity. Based on the national average rate of 12¢ per kWh, each hour of electric drying will cost somewhere between 24¢ and 72¢, depending on the model.
Electric dryers use anywhere from 1800 to 5000 watts of energy, on average, dependent on the load and cycle configurations. This equates to about 1.8 to 5 kWh of electricity. Whirlpool dryers typically require 2100 watts of energy.
Tumble dryers consume more electricity per cycle, especially traditional vented models. In contrast, washing machines use less energy, particularly when operated on efficient cycles. Overall, drying costs tend to exceed washing costs.
Most people will see that they have a lower tariff overnight, usually between 11 pm and 7 am. This is the best time to do your washing as you'll save money. Saving money on electricity is only part of the equation. In order to get the best possible wash, you also need to use top-quality products.
According to Heatable, a 2500W tumble dryer costs about 85p to use for an hour. However, the tumble dryer cost per hour depends on the energy efficiency rating of your tumble dryer and the cost of energy at the time.
If you have electric heat, heating your home uses the most energy. This can account for more than 30% of your electricity consumption. And if you have air conditioning, this number rises even higher. All told, your efforts to stay comfortable can use between 40% and 50% of the electricity in your home.
Dryer Costs:
Once your clothes are washed, the drying cost comes into play. Typically, you'll find that dryers charge by time, with a standard drying cycle lasting around 30 to 45 minutes. The cost of drying a load ranges from $1.50 to $2.50 per cycle, depending on the dryer's size and location.
Which is better: gas or electric dryers? Both have their benefits. Gas dryers generally have lower average operating costs, but can be more expensive initially and require the installation of a gas hookup. Electric dryers are typically cheaper to purchase, but may cost more to operate over time.
Did you know that when your appliances or electronic devices are plugged in, they're draining energy – even if they're not in use? Phantom power, also called standby power, refers to the energy that's wasted around your home when devices are plugged in and using power, but you're not actively using them.
Running a fan takes a lot less electricity than running an air conditioner; ceiling fans average at about 15-90 watts of energy used, and tower fans use about 100 watts. The best ceiling fans, window fans, towers and whole-house fans use only a fraction of the energy consumed by an air-conditioner.
Cons. ❌ Longer drying time: Electric components take longer to heat up and don't run as hot, so your drying cycles will be longer with an electric dryer.
If you want to save the most money, read your plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL) to figure out when your energy rates are cheapest. For instance, a common range for peak hours is between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The cheapest time to do laundry for an energy plan with these higher TOU rates is before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m.
Whether your dryer is gas or electric, it can take up to 45 minutes for a typical drying cycle. Heavier cycles that include large loads like bedding, can take around three hours to fully dry.
It costs an average of $20 a month or $240 a year to run a refrigerator. A refrigerator's actual energy use is typically much less than the stated wattage because they cycle on and off throughout the day. Generally, you can divide your refrigerator's wattage by 3 to estimate its energy usage.
If a 3,000 watt dryer costs $0.78 to run for two hours, it will cost you $0.39 per hour.
The single, 10-minute long shower will cost you $0.46 or $168.93 if you repeat it daily for a full year. Don't forget that these are sample calculations for one person and 10 minutes for showering only 1 time a day.
In general, wash and fold laundry service costs between $1.45 – $2.95 per pound.
What costs the most on your electric bill? Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.
Unplugging appliances has the potential to save you money on expenses, and this practice can also increase the life of your belongings. The more items you have plugged in around the house, the more susceptible your devices are to damage through an unexpected power surge.
Early Morning or Late at Night
Just remember one thing, avoid washing your clothes during peak hours when the units of electricity consumption get doubled, as it is not the best time to run the washer and dryer.
If you have a 2100W (2.1 kW) washing machine and you run it for an hour, it'll use 2.1kWh of electricity in that hour. If electricity costs 34p per unit, multiply 2.1kWh by 34p and you get a grand total of 71p.