How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer?
A typical clothes dryer draws about 3000 watts. Used 1 hours a day, that works out to roughly $0.51 per day, $8.50 per month, and $102.00 per year on an average electricity rate of 17¢ per kWh. Electric dryers are short-burst but extremely high-wattage appliances.
Clothes Dryer running cost calculator
- Per day
- $0.51
- Per month
- $8.50
- Per year
- $102.00
- CO₂ / year
- 240 kg
Based on 600 kWh per year. Adjust the price per kWh to match your latest electricity bill for an exact figure.
The number that matters most is your own electricity rate. Rates range from under 11¢ per kWh in some regions to over 30¢ in others, so the same clothes dryer can cost two or three times as much depending on where you live. Enter your exact rate in the calculator above to get a figure tailored to your bill.
Over a full year this clothes dryer uses about 600 kWh of electricity and is responsible for roughly 240 kg of CO₂ emissions on an average grid. Reducing run time, or switching to a more efficient model, lowers both the cost and the footprint.
If this clothes dryer is one you use daily, even small efficiency gains compound. Cutting its usage or wattage by 20% would save around $20.40 every year — money that an efficient replacement can recover over its lifetime.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer per hour?
- At 3000 watts and a 17¢/kWh rate, a clothes dryer costs about $0.51 per hour to run.
- How much electricity does a clothes dryer use per month?
- Running 1 hours a day, a clothes dryer uses roughly 50.0 kWh per month, costing about $8.50.
- Is a clothes dryer expensive to run?
- Not particularly — at around $102.00 per year, a clothes dryer is a relatively minor part of most electricity bills.
- How can I reduce my clothes dryer running costs?
- Use it during off-peak hours if your utility offers time-of-use pricing, reduce daily run time, and consider an ENERGY STAR rated clothes dryer, which uses less power for the same job.