Heat type
Standard vented dryers blast a resistive coil — about 3 kWh per typical load. Heat-pump dryers recycle warm air and land near 1.5–2 kWh. Gas dryers pay a gas bill instead; their electricity is only ~0.5 kWh per load.
Clothes Dryer Cost per Load
Updated July 2026 rate dataKitchen & LaundrySourced from ENERGY STAR — Clothes Dryers
Heat source sets the range: a resistive vented dryer is the hungriest, a heat-pump model recycles warm air, and a gas dryer shifts most of it off your electricity bill. Set your kWh per load, loads per week, and state below.
Quick pick
EIA residential average, July 2026. Your utility's exact rate is on your bill.
3.0 kWh
1.0 kWh6.0 kWh
5/wk
1/wk21/wk
Common setups
Per load
$0.55
3 kWh
Per day
$0.39
2.14 kWh
Per month
$11.93
65 kWh
Per year
$143
782 kWh
Run like this for a year and it adds about $143 to your electricity bill.
Covers electric dryers (vented and heat-pump). Gas dryers use about half the electricity (motor only) plus natural gas for heat — different math.
Energy: 2.14 kWh per day · 782 kWh per year, at 18.31¢/kWh (U.S. average).
What changes the number
Spin quality and load size
Wetter clothes mean longer runtime. A high-spin washer or an extra spin cycle removes water for pennies and cuts dryer minutes — the cheapest drying is the drying you skip.
Vent health
A lint-clogged vent forces longer cycles and is a fire risk. Cleaning it is both a safety task and a direct energy saving.
Cut the cost
Biggest savings first.
- Line-dry even half your loads — the rack pays for itself in weeks.
- Dry full (but not packed) loads; back-to-back loads reuse residual heat.
- Clean the lint filter every load. Inspect and clean the exhaust duct as directed by the manufacturer, and keep it clear of lint.
- Use the moisture-sensor setting, not timed dry — it stops when clothes are actually dry.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a dryer for one load?
About 25¢ (heat-pump) to 80¢ (older vented) per load at the U.S. average rate of 18.31¢/kWh; typical electric vented dryers land near 55¢. Check your machine's EnergyGuide label for its rated kWh per year.
How much does a dryer cost per month?
At 5 loads a week, roughly $12/month at the U.S. average rate; a large family doing 12+ loads approaches $30/month. Heat-pump dryers roughly halve those figures.
Is a gas dryer cheaper than electric?
Usually yes on operating cost — gas heat is typically cheaper per unit of heat than electric resistance in most states. The electric figures above apply only to all-electric dryers.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR — Clothes Dryers
- U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A — Average Price of Electricity by State
Rate basis: EIA residential average, July 2026 (retrieved from Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A). Estimates are for planning, not billing.
