How much does it cost to run an electric dryer?
EIA data · June 2026About $11.21 a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
61.1 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 1,800–5,600 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
Each load is assumed to take 45 minutes.
75% duty cycle applied — it draws power for part of that time.
An electric clothes dryer sits mid-table at #21 of 88, which means something else in the house costs more. See whether laundry or something else drives your bill.
Published figures for this appliance disagree by a wide margin. Why other sites price an electric clothes dryer so differently.
How many watts an electric clothes dryer uses
A standard vented electric dryer on a 240-volt, 30-amp circuit draws about 5,000 W while the heating element is on. The low end of the range is a 120-volt compact or heat-pump dryer.
- Low
- 1,800 W
- Typical
- 5,000 W
- High
- 5,600 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 5,000 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $387 |
| California | 34.74 | $255 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $217 |
| New York | 29.49 | $216 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $141 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $117 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $111 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $98.04 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $97.16 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $96.13 |
Worth knowing
- The heating element does nearly all the work; the drum motor is only about 200 W. Once clothes are dry, the element cycles off, so a longer cycle does not cost proportionally more.
- Heat-pump dryers use roughly half to a third of the electricity of a vented electric dryer, but run longer per load.
- Cleaning the lint filter and duct matters more for cost than the cycle setting — restricted airflow makes every load run longer.
Other appliances
- Washing machine
- Clothes iron
- Clothes steamer
- Space heater
- Central air conditioner
- Window air conditioner
- Electric water heater
- Refrigerator
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.