How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer?
Short answer: A clothes dryer drawing 3,000 watts costs about $0.55 per hour at the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kWh. Used 1 hours a day, 22 days a month, that is about $12.08 per month and $145.02 per year. In Louisiana, the cheapest state, the same use costs $8.40 a month; in Hawaii, the most expensive, $31.68.
Clothes dryer cost calculator
Total drying time per day you run it. One typical load takes 45 to 60 minutes.
Energy used: 66.0 kWh per month. Default price is the U.S. residential average; pick your state or type the price from your own bill.
A standard electric dryer is one of the highest-wattage appliances in a home, drawing around 3,000 watts while it tumbles, though it runs for less than an hour per load. The cost is best thought of per load rather than per month.
Cost by size and setting
Costs below use the U.S. average price and 1 hours a day, 22 days a month.
| Type | Power | Per hour | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump dryer | 900 W | $0.16 | $3.63 |
| Standard electric dryer | 3,000 W | $0.55 | $12.08 |
| Large-capacity electric dryer | 5,000 W | $0.92 | $20.14 |
Cost per load
A one-hour cycle on a 3,000-watt dryer uses 3 kWh. At the national average that is about $0.55 a load; in Hawaii, the most expensive state, it is $1.44. A household that dries five loads a week runs roughly 22 loads a month, which is the default in the calculator above.
Gas dryers still use electricity for the drum motor and controls, but only around 300 watts. If you have a gas dryer, enter 300 watts in the calculator and remember that the heat is on your gas bill instead.
Heat pump dryers
Heat pump dryers recycle their warm air instead of venting it outdoors and use well under half the electricity of a conventional electric dryer. They take longer per load and cost more to buy, so they pay off fastest in states with expensive electricity and in households that do a lot of laundry.
How to lower the cost
- Use the washer's highest spin speed. Water removed by spinning is far cheaper than water removed by heat.
- Clean the lint screen every load and the vent duct once a year.
- Use the moisture-sensor cycle rather than a fixed timer so the dryer stops when clothes are dry.
- Dry loads back to back to reuse the heat already in the drum.
Cost to run a clothes dryer in every state
Based on 3,000 watts for 1 hours a day, 22 days a month, at each state's average residential electricity price for July 2026.
| State | Price per kWh | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $0.49 | $10.82 | $129.89 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $0.86 | $19.03 | $228.33 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $0.46 | $10.15 | $121.81 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $0.43 | $9.46 | $113.49 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $1.01 | $22.18 | $266.19 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $0.51 | $11.22 | $134.64 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $0.72 | $15.95 | $191.35 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $0.55 | $12.20 | $146.36 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $0.76 | $16.64 | $199.66 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $0.45 | $9.92 | $119.04 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $0.49 | $10.74 | $128.86 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $1.44 | $31.68 | $380.16 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $0.41 | $9.06 | $108.74 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $0.58 | $12.69 | $152.22 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $0.50 | $11.04 | $132.50 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $0.48 | $10.55 | $126.64 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $0.46 | $10.08 | $120.94 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $0.41 | $9.11 | $109.38 |
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $0.38 | $8.40 | $100.74 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $0.97 | $21.39 | $256.69 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $0.64 | $14.13 | $169.57 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $0.91 | $20.12 | $241.48 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $0.69 | $15.21 | $182.56 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $0.52 | $11.52 | $138.20 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $0.44 | $9.60 | $115.16 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $0.48 | $10.62 | $127.43 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $0.45 | $9.89 | $118.72 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $0.41 | $9.09 | $109.14 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $0.38 | $8.43 | $101.14 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $0.80 | $17.56 | $210.67 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $0.76 | $16.63 | $199.50 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $0.48 | $10.62 | $127.43 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $0.90 | $19.73 | $236.81 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $0.45 | $10.01 | $120.07 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $0.40 | $8.85 | $106.21 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $0.58 | $12.84 | $154.04 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $0.43 | $9.47 | $113.65 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $0.48 | $10.54 | $126.48 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $0.65 | $14.34 | $172.02 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $0.85 | $18.67 | $224.06 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $0.46 | $10.21 | $122.52 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $0.46 | $10.14 | $121.73 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $0.41 | $9.05 | $108.58 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $0.48 | $10.48 | $125.77 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $0.39 | $8.66 | $103.91 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $0.71 | $15.68 | $188.10 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $0.53 | $11.58 | $139.00 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $0.44 | $9.71 | $116.50 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $0.47 | $10.41 | $124.98 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $0.57 | $12.58 | $150.96 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $0.43 | $9.48 | $113.73 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to dry one load of laundry?
About $0.55 at the U.S. average electricity price for a one-hour cycle on a standard 3,000-watt electric dryer.
Is it cheaper to run the dryer at night?
Only if you are on a time-of-use rate plan, where electricity costs less during off-peak hours. On a flat rate the time of day makes no difference.
How many watts does a dryer use?
Most standard electric dryers draw 1,800 to 5,000 watts, with about 3,000 watts typical. Heat pump dryers draw roughly 600 to 1,000 watts.