Tumble dryer running cost calculator

Estimate electricity cost per dryer load, average month and year. Start with the energy used by one complete load on the programme you actually choose. Enter kWh per load from a suitable meter, the maker's programme information or a matching energy label.

The dryer type names your equipment; it does not supply an assumed consumption. Heat pump, condenser and vented dryers can have different programmes and loads. Use figures for your own model rather than treating a category name as its measured performance.

Enter the average number of loads you run each week and the electricity price that applies while drying. Count a part-load programme as a load with its own energy use. If your routine varies, use records over a representative period. The annual estimate repeats that weekly routine; it does not track the laundry you will actually do each week.

Cost per load = entered kWh per load × electricity price. Annual cost = cost per load × loads per week × 365 ÷ 7. Monthly cost = annual cost ÷ 12. The dryer type labels your equipment; it never substitutes an assumed cycle consumption. Choose the energy figure for the actual programme and load.

The electricity price is in pence per kWh. Divide it by 100 to calculate pounds. A kWh is an amount of electricity, while kW is power. A power rating alone is not energy per load: the time spent heating and the way the dryer cycles also matter.

The factor 365 ÷ 7 carries the weekly load count across a year. Dividing the annual cost by 12 gives an average month, rather than the cost of a particular calendar month. The working shows your energy per load, yearly energy and the price used, so you can check each part.

These illustrative inputs are separate from your saved answers. Prices, use and performance are held constant for this worked scenario; they are not personal defaults.

Match the energy figure to the programme, load size and test conditions. A label figure for one programme may not describe another. An annual label total cannot be entered directly as kWh per load. Check what that label includes before using it.

Changing load size, moisture left after washing, drying level or programme can change consumption. The calculator does not add an assumed saving for any setting. Use a measured or documented energy figure when comparing two routines, and keep the laundry amount comparable.

The estimate covers the entered drying electricity only. Existing standing charges, purchase price, repairs and other appliances are excluded. It holds the selected price constant for the year. Money is rounded after the calculation. Personal fields begin empty; example values are not submitted as your usage. If an edit is incomplete, the last valid result remains visible with a warning.

Published UK electricity prices use the selected Ofgem region and payment method. Check the source dates and price period. The stored tax treatment is included as recorded for that period; your bill price may differ.

Choose your own tax-inclusive bill rate for a personal estimate. If the dryer uses several time-of-use price windows, the single entered price must represent the electricity being costed. This tool does not split one load across separate prices. Existing standing charges remain outside the estimate.

Check the maker's programme guide if you cannot identify a suitable energy-per-load figure. Ask an energy adviser to help interpret readings that include several appliances or a whole-house meter.

For a new dryer or changes to its installation, follow the maker's ventilation and electrical requirements. Use a qualified installer where needed. Running cost is only one part of a purchase decision; this estimate cannot check product condition, installation safety or whether the appliance suits your laundry.