How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer?

Per-load cost is the easier number to start with. A conventional vented electric dryer uses 1.4 to 4.7 kWh per cycle depending on load size, fabric weight, moisture level, and cycle setting. Multiply by a typical US rate of 18.05¢/kWh and one cycle costs $0.25 to $0.85. The average household runs 250 to 300 dryer cycles a year according to DOE survey data, which puts the annual electricity cost on a conventional electric model at $105 to $115 in most of the country. A lighter household that does 150 cycles lands closer to $66. A heavy-use household with kids, pets, and athletic gear can push past $200.

The wattage range is wider than most appliance categories because dryers come in two functional halves: the heating element and the motor. A standard electric dryer has a 2,400 to 5,400 watt resistive heating element, plus a 200 to 400 watt motor turning the drum and the blower. The heater does not run continuously through a cycle. It pulses on and off as the thermostat and moisture sensor regulate drum temperature. Typical duty cycle through a 45 minute dry is 60 to 80% for the heater and 100% for the motor.

A gas dryer uses the same motor and blower as an electric model, but the heat comes from a natural gas or propane burner instead of a resistive element. Gas costs less per unit of heat delivered. Annual fuel cost for a gas dryer at US-average residential gas rates lands around $50 to $57, compared to $105 to $115 for a conventional electric model. On a per-load basis, a gas dryer runs about $0.19 cheaper than its electric counterpart in most of the country.

Gas dryers typically cost $50 to $150 more at purchase than the equivalent electric model. At roughly $55 a year in fuel savings, the payback period is one to three years for most households. The caveats are real though. A gas dryer requires an existing gas line at the laundry location or a plumber to add one, which can cost $300 to $800. It also requires proper venting and carbon monoxide monitoring. If the laundry hookup is electric-only and the house has no nearby gas service, the retrofit cost erases the savings. The gas dryer appliance page covers the wattage and fuel-use math in more detail, including the fact that gas dryers still draw 200 to 400 watts of electricity to run the motor and controls.

Heat pump dryers are the efficiency play that most US households have not considered yet. A heat pump dryer uses the same refrigerant cycle that runs an air conditioner or a modern water heater. Instead of heating air once and venting it outside, the unit recycles the heated air through a closed loop, extracting moisture through a condenser coil and reusing the dry air. Energy consumption per load drops 28 to 50% compared to a conventional electric dryer.

In numbers, a heat pump dryer uses roughly 1.0 to 1.8 kWh per cycle against the 1.4 to 4.7 kWh range for a conventional electric. At 18.05¢/kWh, that is an annual electricity bill of $54 to $75 for a 300-cycle household, compared to $105 to $115 on a conventional electric model. The savings land between $75 and $135 a year at national-average rates. In California at 33.75¢/kWh, the same usage pattern produces a savings of $140 to $250 a year because every kWh saved is worth more. The heat pump dryer appliance page lays out the wattage draw and cycle math for the main ENERGY STAR certified models.

The trade-offs: heat pump dryers cost $1,000 to $1,800 new, about $300 to $500 more than a conventional electric. They take longer per cycle, typically 80 to 120 minutes instead of 45 to 60. They do not need a vent, which makes them installable in apartments and interior laundry rooms where venting is not an option. Many models qualify for federal tax credits under the 25C program and for utility rebates. ENERGY STAR maintains the current certified model list on the ENERGY STAR clothes dryer finder.

A 3 kWh cycle costs $0.36 in Louisiana at 12.44¢/kWh. The same cycle costs $0.44 in Texas at 14.8¢, $0.54 at the national average, $0.86 in Connecticut at 28.7¢, and $1.20 in Hawaii at 39.89¢. Over 300 cycles a year, that is a range from $108 annually in Louisiana to $360 in Hawaii. Same dryer, same household, different state.

The rate gap is also why efficiency upgrades produce wildly different payback periods depending on where the meter sits. A heat pump dryer saving 500 kWh a year returns $62 in Louisiana, $90 at the national average, and $200 in Hawaii. For a household paying 30¢/kWh or more, the replacement math on an old conventional dryer is rarely borderline. For a household paying 12¢/kWh, the payback stretches well past a decade unless rebates close most of the gap. The full state rate breakdown lists the current 2026 residential rates for all 50 states.

Most of the efficiency headroom on an existing dryer is in airflow and moisture control. Neither requires replacing the appliance.

• Clean the lint trap before every load. A clogged lint screen restricts airflow, forces the heater to run longer, and can increase cycle energy use by up to 30% according to DOE testing. It is the single largest no-cost efficiency lever on any vented dryer. A clogged exterior vent duct has the same effect at larger scale and should be cleaned once a year.
• Use the moisture-sensor cycle instead of timed dry. Moisture sensors stop the cycle when clothes are actually dry, which is typically 10 to 20 minutes before a timed dry would end. Every minute of unnecessary heater runtime is wasted energy. On a conventional electric dryer, that saves 15 to 25% of cycle energy use.
• Dry full loads, not half loads. A half-full load uses roughly the same heater energy as a full load but finishes two half loads in more total runtime than one full load. Consolidating cuts total annual dryer usage 10 to 20% for households that had been splitting loads unnecessarily.
• Run loads back-to-back while the drum is still warm. A cold drum absorbs a meaningful share of the heater output in the first few minutes of a cycle. Queuing the next load immediately after the prior one finishes saves 5 to 10% per subsequent cycle.
• Shift dryer loads to off-peak hours where rates vary by time. On a time-of-use plan, off-peak kWh can cost 40 to 60% less than on-peak. Whether a TOU plan is worth switching to depends on the household, but for any household already on one, running the dryer after 8 or 9 PM instead of at dinnertime can cut 20 to 30% off every load.

Wattage varies by model year and capacity. Cycle length varies by load and moisture level. Rates vary by a factor of three across US states. Generic annual estimates get within a ballpark; your specifics get you the real number. Plug in your rate and dryer wattage below to see what it costs to run at your address.

For the wattage figures, cycle-length ranges, and rebate-eligible models, the electric dryer appliance page has the full breakdown. If the dryer is part of a broader bill increase and the source is not obvious, the high-bill diagnostic walkthrough helps isolate which appliance is actually driving the change.