How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer?

USING the tumble dryer is a tempting way to get your washing dried and put away quickly – but it might not be the cheapest. 

If you’re wondering how much your bank balance is being hit by running your machine, we explain all you need to know below.

With summer coming to an end and colder weather rolling in, more Brits will be looking to make more use of their tumble dryers.

But depending on what type of dryer you buy, it could be pricier than you think to run.

Some models go for thousands of pounds so you could soon find the costs rack up.

And although PM Liz Truss is freezing energy bills to £2,500 from October 1, this is only what suppliers can charge, and your bill might be higher if you use more energy.

So households might want to think about ways to drive their bills down.

What is the Energy Price Guarantee?

This is Ms Truss’ intervention to help balance the soaring energy bills this winter.

She’s freezing energy prices at £2,500 for two years under this Guarantee – down from the original price cap which was set to rocket to £3,500.

This means households will save roughly £1,000 a year.

But because this only sets a budget for what energy suppliers can charge, homeowners are still urged to find their own ways to save so their energy usage can be as low as possible.

To help a little bit, bill payers will still be receiving the £400 rebate this winter – supplied by energy companies in their own ways to help ease the fortune on energy.

Almost 30 million UK households are eligible for the energy bill discount.

Customers will get a discount worth £66 in October and November.

A £67 discount will then be provided every month between December and March 2023.

It’s up to your energy supplier to decide how the discount will be paid, so keep an eye out from an email from your supplier if you don’t already know.

How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer?

We crunch the numbers so you can see whether you can afford to cough up for the convenience since the price cap is nearing.

It’s important to note these prices are an estimate – how much you spend will always depend on which model you have and how much you use it.

Where possible, you should use a heated air dryer which could help you save up to £96 a year if you also use the eco setting on your washing machine.

The price of running a tumble dryer depends on what type of machine you buy.

But on average, estimates a tumble dryer uses roughly 4.5 kWh of energy per cycle.

Each kWh of energy you use costs 14.37p – which means that you’ll be coughing up roughly 67p per cycle.

For big families who do three loads of washing a week, that could mean you’re spending £104.52 a year tumble drying your clothes.

But the most recent figures – calculated with the new price cap figures – dictate that running a tumble dryer for two hours a week would cost around £92 a year from October 1, compared to £72 at the moment.

Which models are the cheapest to run?

Choosing a cheaper model to run could knock a lot off your bill.

There are three main types of tumble dryer you can buy – heat-pump dryers, condenser dryers and vented dryers.

A heat pump tumble dryer uses hot air to absorb moisture from your clothes.

The machine keeps recycling this hot, dry air, making them very energy efficient.

According to Which? data, these types of washing machines cost up to £51 less each year to run compared to some other models.

It will cost you £39 per year if you’re drying three loads per week.

Meanwhile, vented tumble dryers – which draw in air from the outside room through a vent or a hose to heat up and dry clothes – costs £81 per year based on the same number of cycles.

A condenser dryer – which uses very hot air to dry clothes and needs to be emptied after each use – will set you back £90 a year to run.

However, it’s important to note that the average cost of a heat-pump dryer is more than 50% more expensive the other models, Which? adds.

The average cost of a heat-pump dryer is £678, whereas a condenser dryer will set you back £310.

That means that you’d start to see your investment pay off in the seventh year of running it.

But keep in mind these prices will each rise as the new price cap sets in.

How to reduce your bill

There are a number of ways you can reduce your bills drying clothes.

The most obvious way to save money is to opt hanging out your laundry on a clothes horse – or outside – to let them dry naturally instead.

It won’t cost you a penny, but with temperatures dipping as autumn hits, keep in mind that getting your load dry could take longer.

You could also save money on washing your clothes too.

Which? has worked out that the average washing machine costs about £38 a year to run four washes a week.

If you reduced the temperature to 30°C then it would only cost £25, saving £13, and lowering it to 20°C will make it roughly £14 to run, saving £24.

Which? home products and services editor Lisa Barber said keeping your tumble dryer in good shape can help shave money off your bill.

“Maintaining your tumble dryer could also trim your bill, as filters blocking up with dust and lint from clothes can add nearly £20 to annual laundry costs,” she said.

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