Data through June 2026
Cost to run · California · 34.7¢/kWh residential average
How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer in California?
$211/yr · median certified model
Electricity in California is genuinely expensive — 34.7¢/kWh, 89% above the national average — so the median certified clothes dryer costs about $211 a year, and efficiency differences between models turn into real money.
Only 1 jurisdiction costs more: California ranks 50 of 51 for running a clothes dryer. Model choice matters as much as geography: at California rates the most efficient certified model (Bosch WQB245AXUC) costs $42 a year while the most power-hungry (Samsung WH46DBH1**E) costs $239 — a spread of $196 every year. For reference, the national extremes are Nevada (13.1¢/kWh) and Hawaii (52.7¢/kWh); the same median clothes dryer would cost $80 and $320 a year there.
The cheapest clothes dryers to run at California rates
| # | Model | kWh/yr | $/yr in CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bosch WQB245AXUCmost efficient | 122 | $42 |
| 2 | Bosch WTW87NH1UCmost efficient | 125 | $43 |
| 3 | Samsung DV25B69**Hmost efficient | 125 | $43 |
| 4 | Samsung DV25FG50*0most efficient | 125 | $43 |
| 5 | LG DLHC1455most efficient | 133 | $46 |
| 6 | LG WKHC152H*Amost efficient | 133 | $46 |
| 7 | Miele TWB120 WPmost efficient | 133 | $46 |
| 8 | Miele TWD160WPmost efficient | 133 | $46 |
| 9 | Miele TWD360WPmost efficient | 133 | $46 |
| 10 | Miele TWF160 WPmost efficient | 133 | $46 |
Price any model at California rates
Your rate, your numbers
- Per day
- 58¢
- Per month
- $17.57
- Per year
- $211
607 kWh/yr × 34.7¢/kWh = $211/yr
Prefilled with the median certified clothes dryer (607 kWh/yr). Every model page on this site carries its exact certified figure.
Questions, answered with the data
- How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer in California?
- About $211 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryer, at California's average residential rate of 34.7¢/kWh — that's $17.57 a month.
- Is electricity expensive in California?
- California's residential average of 34.7¢/kWh is 89% above the U.S. average of 18.3¢/kWh, ranking 50 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).
- What's the cheapest clothes dryer to run in California?
- Among currently certified models, the Bosch WQB245AXUC costs the least at about $42 a year at California rates (122 kWh/yr).
- How does California compare with other states?
- The same median clothes dryer costs $80 a year in Nevada (the cheapest state) and $320 in Hawaii (the priciest). California sits at $211.
Keep digging
- All certified clothes dryers compared
- Clothes Dryers costs in Maine (rank 48 of 51)
- Clothes Dryers costs in Massachusetts (rank 49 of 51)
- Clothes Dryers costs in Hawaii (rank 51 of 51)
- Running an air purifier in California
- Running a clothes washer in California
- Running a computer monitor in California
- Running a dehumidifier in California
Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.