Data through April 2026
Category · 318 certified models
Clothes Dryers: what they cost to run
Every load has a price. Certified on a standardized annual cycle count of 283, the 318 models in this data run from $23 to $129 per year at national-average rates (median $114).
Heat-pump dryers are the step change: they recycle heat instead of venting it, often halving the kWh of a conventional electric dryer (compare CEF figures — higher is better). Every figure on this page comes from ENERGY STAR's certified test data — the 122–687 kWh/yr range you see is measured, not estimated.
- Median cost
- $114/yr
- Cheapest model
- $23/yr
- Priciest model
- $129/yr
The 10 cheapest to run
| # | Model | kWh/yr | $/yr (US avg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bosch WQB245AXUCmost efficient | 122 | $23 |
| 2 | Bosch WTW87NH1UCmost efficient | 125 | $24 |
| 3 | Samsung DV25B69**Hmost efficient | 125 | $24 |
| 4 | Samsung DV25FG50*0most efficient | 125 | $24 |
| 5 | LG DLHC1455most efficient | 133 | $25 |
| 6 | LG WKHC152H*Amost efficient | 133 | $25 |
| 7 | Miele TWB120 WPmost efficient | 133 | $25 |
| 8 | Miele TWD160WPmost efficient | 133 | $25 |
| 9 | Miele TWD360WPmost efficient | 133 | $25 |
| 10 | Miele TWF160 WPmost efficient | 133 | $25 |
Typical cost by state
| State | Rate ¢/kWh | Median $/yr | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 17.4¢ | $106 | |
| Alaska | 27.4¢ | $166 | |
| Arizona | 15.5¢ | $94 | |
| Arkansas | 14.2¢ | $86 | |
| California | 35.3¢ | $214 | |
| Colorado | 16.5¢ | $100 | |
| Connecticut | 32.2¢ | $196 | |
| Delaware | 18.8¢ | $114 | |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $154 | |
| Florida | 15.4¢ | $93 | |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | $93 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 46.6¢ | $283 | |
| Idaho | 12.7¢ | $77 | |
| Illinois | 20.5¢ | $124 | |
| Indiana | 17.9¢ | $109 | |
| Iowa | 13.9¢ | $84 | |
| Kansas | 15.8¢ | $96 | |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $91 | |
| Louisiana | 14.4¢ | $88 | |
| Maine | 28.4¢ | $173 | |
| Maryland | 22.1¢ | $134 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.4¢ | $179 | |
| Michigan | 21.4¢ | $130 | |
| Minnesota | 16.4¢ | $99 | |
| Mississippi | 16.8¢ | $102 | |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | $85 | |
| Montana | 13.9¢ | $84 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $81 | |
| Nevada | 14.3¢ | $87 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.2¢ | $165 | |
| New Jersey | 23.5¢ | $143 | |
| New Mexico | 15.2¢ | $92 | |
| New York | 29.4¢ | $179 | |
| North Carolina | 16.3¢ | $99 | |
| North Dakotacheapest | 12.3¢ | $75 | |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $118 | |
| Oklahoma | 13.3¢ | $81 | |
| Oregon | 15.8¢ | $96 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5¢ | $130 | |
| Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | $172 | |
| South Carolina | 17.1¢ | $104 | |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | $88 | |
| Tennessee | 14.9¢ | $91 | |
| Texas | 17.0¢ | $103 | |
| Utah | 13.3¢ | $81 | |
| Vermont | 24.6¢ | $149 | |
| Virginia | 17.4¢ | $105 | |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | $87 | |
| West Virginia | 16.1¢ | $97 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.2¢ | $117 | |
| Wyoming | 14.7¢ | $89 |
How to read these numbers
The certified annual kWh assumes 283 drying cycles per year under the DOE test procedure. Only electric dryers are listed here — a gas dryer's running cost is mostly gas, not electricity. Full methodology and limitations →
Questions, answered with the data
- How much does a clothes dryer cost to run per year?
- The median ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryer costs about $114 a year at the U.S. average rate (18.8¢/kWh). Across all 318 certified models, costs range from $23 to $129.
- How much electricity does a clothes dryer use?
- Certified models use between 122 and 687 kWh per year (median 607). The certified annual kWh assumes 283 drying cycles per year under the DOE test procedure. Only electric dryers are listed here — a gas dryer's running cost is mostly gas, not electricity.
- Where is a clothes dryer cheapest and most expensive to run?
- North Dakota has the lowest residential rate (12.3¢/kWh), putting the median clothes dryer at $75 a year; Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh) is the most expensive at $283.
- What makes one clothes dryer cheaper to run than another?
- Heat-pump dryers are the step change: they recycle heat instead of venting it, often halving the kWh of a conventional electric dryer (compare CEF figures — higher is better).