Is it cheaper to run a tumble dryer or a heated clothes airer?
Price updated 9 July 2026 · Q3 2026 (Jul–Sep)
With typical usage, a heated clothes airer is cheaper — about £7.26 a month less (£87.13 a year) than a tumble dryer.
The cheapest way to dry a load without a tumble dryer, if you have the time and space.
Compare with your own usage
Tumble dryer
About £11.35 a month · £136.14 a year
Uses about 521 kWh a year. Prefilled with the Ofgem cap of 26.11p/kWh — edit any box for your own figures.
Heated clothes airer
About £4.08 a month · £49.01 a year
Uses about 188 kWh a year. Prefilled with the Ofgem cap of 26.11p/kWh — edit any box for your own figures.
The bottom line
At the current 26.11p/kWh cap and typical usage, a heated clothes airer runs at about £4.08 a month against £11.35 for a tumble dryer. Your own habits decide the real answer — the tool above lets you put in exactly how you use each one.
Read more: Tumble dryer running cost · Heated clothes airer running cost.