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How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer?

Running a typical tumble dryer costs about 65p a cycle — roughly £102 a year if you dry around three loads a week — at the current price-cap electricity rate (about 26p a unit, GB average, Jul–Sep 2026). A heat-pump dryer uses far less. Your real cost depends on the machine, the load and your tariff.

Priced at the current price-cap electricity rate (about 26p a unit, GB average, Jul–Sep 2026; source: Ofgem). Your own rate varies by region and tariff — check your real rate free →

• The typical numbers. A standard vented or condenser dryer uses roughly 2–4.5 kWh for a full load; call it a typical 2.5 kWh. At 26p a unit that’s about 65p a cycle. A heat-pump dryer uses around 1 kWh a load — about 26p — because it recycles its own heat.
• Why it costs so much. Drying makes heat, and making heat from electricity is expensive. That’s why a single dryer load can cost more than a whole evening of lights and telly. What uses the most electricity →
• Over a year it adds up. Three loads a week comes to roughly £102 a year on a standard dryer; a daily user pays a good deal more. It’s a real, recurring line on the bill, not loose change.

How to cut it

• Spin faster first. A higher spin in the washing machine wrings out more water, so the dryer runs less. It’s the cheapest saving there is.
• Dry on the line when you can. Air-drying is free. Even half your loads on a rack or line roughly halves the dryer’s share of the bill.
• Don’t over-dry. Use the moisture-sensor setting if the machine has one, so it stops when clothes are dry rather than running on a fixed timer.
• Consider a heat-pump model. If you dry a lot, a heat-pump dryer’s running cost is a fraction of a vented one — the saving can pay back the higher price over time.

That’s one appliance. To see what’s really driving your whole bill — your rates against the price cap, your direct debit against your real usage — check it free in about 30 seconds, with nothing saved. Why is my bill so high? →