Electric dryer cost calculator
How Much Does an Electric Dryer Cost to Run?
Estimate the electricity cost of an electric clothes dryer from its wattage, daily use, and your local electricity price.
Cost estimate
Calculate your electricity cost
Estimated energy use0 kWh/day
Estimated monthly energy0 kWh/month
Cost = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours used × electricity price.
Example
A quick way to sanity-check the result
With the example settings of 3,000 watts for one hour a day, the dryer uses 3 kWh per day. If you do laundry less often, convert your weekly dryer time into an average number of hours per day.
Actual electricity use can vary with power settings, thermostat cycling, efficiency, standby use, and how the appliance is operated.
Heat is the big load
The heating element usually dominates an electric dryer's power draw.
An electric dryer can draw several kilowatts while heating, but the heater cycles rather than remaining at full output for every minute of the cycle. Motor and fan loads are smaller but continue while the drum turns.
Using the rated wattage for the full cycle gives a simple estimate; measured cycle energy is better when available.
Load and moisture matter
A “one-hour cycle” is not a fixed amount of energy.
Heavy towels, large loads, very wet clothes, high heat settings, and poor airflow can extend drying time. Moisture-sensor cycles can stop sooner when clothes are dry, while timed cycles may continue longer than necessary.
A clogged lint path or restricted vent can also increase drying time, so maintenance affects both performance and energy use.
Electric vs gas dryers
This calculator estimates electricity, not fuel gas.
A gas dryer still uses electricity for the motor and controls, but most drying heat comes from gas. Do not enter the heating output of a gas dryer as though it were electrical wattage.
For the reusable formula behind this tool, see How to Estimate an Appliance's Electricity Cost.