{"id":1944,"date":"2022-04-26T11:18:53","date_gmt":"2022-04-26T11:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.appliance-world.co.uk\/?p=1944"},"modified":"2023-02-23T23:16:10","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T23:16:10","slug":"how-much-electricity-does-a-tumble-dryer-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homesguide.co.uk\/how-much-electricity-does-a-tumble-dryer-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Thrift Talk: How Much Electricity Does a Tumble Dryer Use?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tumble dryers dry your clothes without needing the weather to be on your side. However, they come with a drawback. They are one of the more energy-hungry appliances in your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how much electricity does a tumble dryer use? A typical machine can cost about \u00a3100 in electricity a year if used twice a week.<\/strong> We’re going to see how you can work out how much electricity your machine uses and give you some valuable tips to try and reduce the costs of running a tumble dryer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Electricity Does an Average Tumble Dryer Use?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The amount of electricity your tumble dryer needs per cycle must be determined to figure out the cost of operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you buy new washing machines or tumble dryers, they will come with an energy rating<\/a> label that rates your appliance from A to G. It shows how much energy in kilowatt-hours<\/strong> (kWh) it uses per 100 cycles on an eco-programme. Divide this number by 100, and you get the energy use per cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have an older machine (or no longer have its technical information), you might want to purchase a plug-in energy meter<\/strong> that allows you to measure how much electricity your tumble dryer uses. These meters are not particularly expensive and are helpful in obtaining the exact information, even for a new appliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Tumble Dryer?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"money<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, the Energy Saving Trust suggests that an average tumble dryer uses about 4.5 kWh<\/strong> per cycle. You can use the exact information from your tumble dryer’s energy label or an energy meter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suggested average standard rate electricity cost is 20.06p per kWh<\/strong>. Check your energy bills to get the current price to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tumble Dryer Energy Usage<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Example calculation: 4.5kWh x 20.6p = a cost 92.7p per cycle <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using our example, running a tumble dryer twice a week will cost you \u00a396.41 per year (104 x 92.7p).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amount of electricity your tumble dryer needs will depend on a variety of factors. Some are clear, such as its energy efficiency. However, the type of clothes you are drying, load sizes and even where you put the appliance in your home can also affect how big an electricity bill you’ll get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which Type Is the Most Energy Efficient Tumble Dryer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The energy label makes it easy to check the energy efficiency of individual dryers. However, when you are thinking about buying a new appliance, you can get a simple idea of how much electricity a tumble dryer uses by comparing which type of dryer it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find three main types of tumble dryers<\/a>, and they can be broadly ordered in energy efficiency as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Efficient Design – Heat Pump Dryer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medium Efficiency – Condenser Dryer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Least Efficient – Vented Dryer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, although they are the most efficient, heat pump dryers are also the most expensive to purchase. However, while they’re a more costly investment, they will save energy after a few years compared to cheaper machines, especially if you use them fairly often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Can You Reduce a Tumble Dryer’s Running Costs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can control tumble dryer running costs by carefully choosing and using your machine. It’s easy to rack up the electricity bills, so let’s look at ways to use the least energy possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Upgrade to a more energy-efficient model.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have an old appliance, it might be worth upgrading. New designs use considerably less electricity and have features like moisture sensors<\/strong> that detect when your clothes are dry. They only run as long as necessary rather than following a timer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2018 study suggested you could save around \u00a3750 in electricity<\/strong> over the machine’s life by switching to a highly efficient dryer. With current energy costs being so high, in reality, the savings will be much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Get a tumble dryer that’s suitably sized for your family.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re looking for a new dryer, get one that has the correct average load capacity for your needs. If you get a dryer with too low a maximum load, you’ll run it multiple times to dry your washing and waste electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, getting a considerably larger dryer than your full load needs will also unnecessarily use energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Spin dry before tumble drying.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Running the spin cycle on your washing machine uses less energy<\/strong> than tumbling. Don’t be afraid to run your spin cycle twice to get as much water out as possible before transferring your loads to the dryer. This can save energy over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Always dry full loads.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tumble dryers will work most efficiently when they are fully loaded. Using your tumble dryer with just a few pieces of clothing means that the cost of energy per item is much higher than necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, ensure that you don’t overload the machine. This will reduce its drying efficiency and use more electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Use your dryer in a warm room.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All tumble dryers use electricity to make warm air to dry your clothes. If the machine is in a cold room, it must use more electricity to get the air to the required temperature. Housing the dryer in a warm room makes it more energy efficient as it has to heat the air less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taking advantage of the sunny weather to dry clothes outside will help save money on the cost of running a tumble dryer. If you have no outside space, hanging laundry on a clothes horse by an open window will have a similar effect. \u261d\u263c#Tips<\/a> #Save<\/a> #Energy<\/a> #Money<\/a> #Summer<\/a> #Sun<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/pp4sSOUq1N<\/a><\/p>— Zing Energy (@wearezinguk) June 8, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>