How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer in the UK?
Price updated 9 July 2026 · Q3 2026 (Jul–Sep)
A typical tumble dryer (2,500 W) used 1 hour a day, 4 days a week costs about £11.35 a month (£136.14 a year) at 26.11p/kWh.
Conventional vented and condenser tumble dryers are among the most expensive appliances to run in a British home. They use a heating element rated 2,000–3,000W to evaporate water from clothes, and a typical cycle uses 2–3.5 kWh. Over a winter of drying several loads a week the cost adds up quickly, which is why heat pump dryers, heated airers and simple drying racks have become popular alternatives. Spinning clothes at a high speed first removes more water and shortens the dry.
Work out your own cost
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.
Cost by model power
The same tumble dryer can vary a lot between models, so here is the range from a low-power to a high-power example.
| Model | Power | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-power model | 1,800 W | 47p | 47p | £8.17 | £98.02 |
| Typical model | 2,500 W | 65p | 65p | £11.35 | £136.14 |
| High-power model | 3,000 W | 78p | 78p | £13.61 | £163.37 |
What changes the cost
- Vented/condenser element power (2–3 kW)
- How wet the clothes go in (spin speed matters)
- Load size and sensor vs timed drying
- Number of loads per week
Common questions
How much does a tumble dryer cost per load?
A typical cycle uses 2–3.5 kWh, so roughly 55p–90p a load at the current cap. Heat pump models use around a third of that.
Compare it
- Tumble dryer vs Heat pump tumble dryer
- Tumble dryer vs Heated clothes airer
- Tumble dryer vs Dehumidifier
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