laundry · 200W typical

Running a heated drying rack costs about $7.92/month.

That's the typical heated drying rack at 200W, run 8 hours a day at the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator below to see yours.

Estimated cost

$7.92/month

$0.26 per day$96.36 per year48.0 kWh monthly

Wattage

Hours / day

Your rate

Full-power draw for 8 hours at 16.5¢/kWh.

How you use it

Cost shifts with how long it's on.

The same heated drying rack can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.

delicates overnight

$7.92

per month

running overnight for sweaters and delicates

8 hrs/day·$96.36/yr

winter drying

$11.88

per month

primary drying when humidity is high

12 hrs/day·$144.54/yr

Where you live

$14.35 spread between the cheapest and priciest states.

Same appliance, same hours of use, different zip code — the monthly cost varies this much.

State	Rate	Monthly	Yearly
Hawaii	41.2¢	$19.78	$240.61
California	31.4¢	$15.07	$183.38
Massachusetts	30.8¢	$14.78	$179.87
Connecticut	28.7¢	$13.78	$167.61
Rhode Island	27.9¢	$13.39	$162.94
New Hampshire	24.6¢	$11.81	$143.66
Alaska	24.3¢	$11.66	$141.91
New York	22.3¢	$10.70	$130.23
Maine	22.1¢	$10.61	$129.06
Vermont	21.5¢	$10.32	$125.56
Michigan	19.3¢	$9.26	$112.71
New Jersey	19.1¢	$9.17	$111.54
Maryland	18.4¢	$8.83	$107.46
Pennsylvania	18.1¢	$8.69	$105.70
District of Columbia	17.8¢	$8.54	$103.95
Wisconsin	17.4¢	$8.35	$101.62
Delaware	17.2¢	$8.26	$100.45
Illinois	16.9¢	$8.11	$98.70
Ohio	16.6¢	$7.97	$96.94
Nevada	16.3¢	$7.82	$95.19
Indiana	15.8¢	$7.58	$92.27
Virginia	15.7¢	$7.54	$91.69
Minnesota	15.6¢	$7.49	$91.10
Colorado	15.4¢	$7.39	$89.94
Alabama	15.2¢	$7.30	$88.77
West Virginia	15.2¢	$7.30	$88.77
Florida	15.1¢	$7.25	$88.18
New Mexico	14.8¢	$7.10	$86.43
Texas	14.8¢	$7.10	$86.43
Arizona	14.7¢	$7.06	$85.85
South Carolina	14.7¢	$7.06	$85.85
Kansas	14.6¢	$7.01	$85.26
Georgia	14.2¢	$6.82	$82.93
Iowa	14.1¢	$6.77	$82.34
North Carolina	13.9¢	$6.67	$81.18
Missouri	13.6¢	$6.53	$79.42
Oregon	13.4¢	$6.43	$78.26
Tennessee	13.3¢	$6.38	$77.67
Kentucky	13.2¢	$6.34	$77.09
Mississippi	13.1¢	$6.29	$76.50
Oklahoma	13.1¢	$6.29	$76.50
South Dakota	12.7¢	$6.10	$74.17
Montana	12.4¢	$5.95	$72.42
Nebraska	12.2¢	$5.86	$71.25
Arkansas	12.1¢	$5.81	$70.66
Washington	12.1¢	$5.81	$70.66
Louisiana	11.9¢	$5.71	$69.50
Wyoming	11.6¢	$5.57	$67.74
North Dakota	11.5¢	$5.52	$67.16
Utah	11.4¢	$5.47	$66.58
Idaho	11.3¢	$5.42	$65.99

Efficient vs. inefficient

A $134.90/year difference across the wattage range.

Swapping a high-draw model for an efficient one pays for itself. Here's what that looks like annually at typical usage.

Most efficient

120W

$4.75 per month

$57.82 per year

Typical

200W

$7.92 per month

$96.36 per year

High draw

400W

$15.84 per month

$192.72 per year

When it hits hardest

winter peak

Heaviest Dec-Feb when line drying isn't possible.

Ways to cut the cost

1
Use heated rack for delicates instead of running full dryer
Uses 1/15 the energy of a full dryer cycle
2
Turn off once items are dry — most lack auto-shutoff
Saves 4-8 hours of runtime per load
3
Pair with a fan (low draw) for faster drying
Halves drying time for same energy

Real-world wattages

Pulled from actual spec sheets.

Brand	Model	Watts
Greenway	GFR0442SS	220W
Honey-Can-Do	DRY-01336	140W
Costway	BA7505	300W

Picks that actually move the needle

Three products worth comparing if you're thinking about upgrading or supplementing what you have.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a small commission — it never changes the price you pay, and we only recommend picks we would stand behind.

Honey-Can-Do Heated Drying Rack DRY-01336

140W — much less than electric dryer for delicates

$100-140

Standard Folding Drying Rack (unheated)

Zero energy alternative — slower but free

$30-45

Mesh Laundry Bags (for delicates)

Keeps items separated for better airflow

$10-15