How much does a dryer cost to run?
At the current average residential rate of 18.34¢ per kWh, a typical 3,000 W clothes dryer costs about 41¢ per load — around $7.15 a month and $85.83 a year at 4 loads a week.
The rate and formula behind these numbers
kWh per load = watts × hours ÷ 1,000, and cost = kWh × rate. The yearly figure assumes the same weekly pattern all year (× 52); the monthly figure is the yearly one ÷ 12.
Electricity rate: 18.34¢ per kWh — the US EIA Electric Power Monthly for June 2026, the latest month EIA has published (US average across all states). Source: US EIA Electric Power Monthly. Checked September 2, 2026. It excludes the fixed monthly customer charge, which you pay regardless of use.
This calculator is for an electric dryer, which is the expensive kind to run — a gas dryer bills most of its heat to the gas meter and draws electricity only for the drum and the controls. Among electric models the divide that matters is vented versus heat pump: a vented dryer heats room air and throws it outside, while a heat pump recycles the same heat and draws a fraction of the power. Wattage varies more here than on almost any other appliance in the house, so the plate on the door is worth reading before you trust any average.