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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Clothes Dryer? $0.51/Hr, $6.62/Mo

Running a clothes dryer at 3,000 watts for 0.75 hours a day costs about $0.38 a day and $6.62 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $79 a year.

3,000 W (1,800–5,000 W)Typical power draw
0.75 h/day, 17.3 days/monthAssumed use
2.25 kWhEnergy per day

· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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a clothes dryer: energy cost only (3,000 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.
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Slider nudges the rate for a clothes dryer; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer?

The same a clothes dryer at 0.75 hours a day costs $4.67 a month at 12¢ and $17.52 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Clothes Dryer? $0.51/Hr, $6.62/Mo
Electricity rate Per hour Per day Per month Per year
12¢/kWh $0.360 $0.27 $4.67 $56
15¢/kWh $0.450 $0.34 $5.84 $70
17¢/kWh (US avg) $0.510 $0.38 $6.62 $79
20¢/kWh $0.600 $0.45 $7.79 $93
25¢/kWh $0.750 $0.56 $9.73 $117
30¢/kWh $0.900 $0.68 $11.68 $140
35¢/kWh $1.050 $0.79 $13.62 $163
45¢/kWh $1.350 $1.01 $17.52 $210
Typical power draw
3,000 W (1,800–5,000 W)
Assumed use
0.75 h/day, 17.3 days/month
Energy per day
2.25 kWh
Cost per day
$0.38
Cost per month
$6.62
Cost per year
$79

Why this number

Running a clothes dryer at 3,000 watts for 0.75 hours a day costs about $0.38 a day and $6.62 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $79 a year. The formula for a clothes dryer: 3,000 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a clothes dryer your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $4.67, at 45¢/kWh it costs $17.52.

A clothes dryer rated at 3,000 watts, run 0.75 hours a day, costs about $0.38 a day — about $6.62 a month, or $79 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 19th of the 40 appliances tracked here — mid-table, but high enough that it is worth being deliberate about how much you use it.

What actually drives this number

Cost per load matters more than cost per hour. This assumes about four loads a week at roughly 45 minutes each. Drying full loads and cleaning the lint filter cut run-time, and both save more than any setting on the dial.

At 3,000 W every hour of this load costs about $0.51 and no more efficient unit exists to buy — resistance heat is resistance heat. The same physics is why, at whole-house scale, the real decisions are between technologies rather than models: the heat pump vs gas furnace running-cost comparison works out when moving heat beats making it, and the winter heating fuel comparison prices electric resistance against gas, propane and oil per unit of heat actually delivered.

Where this number comes from

Putting Clothes dryer in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a clothes dryer next to the rest of the bill:

For a clothes dryer: making heat is where household electricity goes, but how it is made decides the bill. A resistance element — an oven, a dryer, a resistance furnace, a kettle — converts every watt into exactly one watt of heat, so a cheap appliance and an expensive one with the same rating cost the same to run and efficiency is not something you can shop for. Equipment that moves heat instead of making it, like a heat pump, delivers several units of heat per unit of electricity and breaks that rule entirely. The only levers on a resistance load are running it less, running it lower, or heating a smaller space. On this site’s own numbers, a clothes dryer lands at #19 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $6.62 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 3,000 W arithmetic for a clothes dryer, step by step:

  1. Watts to kilowatts. 3,000 W ÷ 1,000 = 3.00 kW.
  2. Energy per day. 3.00 kW × 0.75 hours = 2.25 kWh.
  3. Cost per day. 2.25 kWh × $0.17 = $0.38.
  4. Cost per month. $0.38 × 17.3 days = $6.62.

For a clothes dryer the two levers are run-hours (0.75 h/day here) and your rate; used this briefly, even 3,000 W costs little — which is why anything that makes heat dominate the rankings.

Other heating loads: Dishwasher ($41/yr), Electric blanket ($41/yr), Electric oven ($35/yr). Closest on annual cost: Refrigerator ($67/yr), Air purifier ($67/yr). Across all other heating loads here, the cheapest is Air fryer at $1.33/mo and the priciest is Electric furnace at $119.34/mo.

The a clothes dryer table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a clothes dryer ($6.62 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer per hour?

About $0.510 an hour for a clothes dryer at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 3,000 W unit. The calculation is 3,000 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.900.

How much does a clothes dryer add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $6.62 a month for a clothes dryer at 0.75 hours a day, 17.3 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $79 a year if you use it that much year-round. For a clothes dryer, change the 0.75-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 3,000 W does.

How many watts does a clothes dryer use?

Typically around 3,000 W, with real units ranging from about 1,800 to 5,000 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a clothes dryer figure?

$6.62 a month is the energy cost of a clothes dryer alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a clothes dryer for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a clothes dryer: 3,000 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.75 h × $0.17 = $0.38 a day; × 17.3 days = $6.62 a month; × 12 months in use = $79 a year. 3,000 W and 0.75 h are the typical figures cited for a clothes dryer; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

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