How much does a heat pump tumble dryer cost to run?
About 39p a run on a standard tariff, or around £62 a year at 3 times a week. Less at the right time on a time-of-use tariff.
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A heat pump dryer reuses the heat it makes instead of blowing it out of a vent, so it uses far less electricity than a condenser or vented dryer. It runs cooler and takes longer, but it costs a fraction as much per load.
How we work it out
A typical heat pump dryer uses about 1.5kWh for full load, taking around 2.5 hours. Electricity on a standard variable tariff costs about 26p a unit across Great Britain at the moment (it varies a little by region), so one run comes to about 39p. Your own model may use more or less: the energy label, or a plug-in energy monitor, will tell you.
If you're on a tariff where the price changes through the day, such as Agile Octopus, Economy 7 or an electric car tariff, the same run can cost much less at the right time. The Cheap Watts tool finds that time for you on your own tariff.
How to spend less
- Expect a longer cycle than an old dryer, and don't worry about it: the long cycle is why it's cheap.
- Clean both the fluff filter and the heat exchanger filter, which clog faster than people expect.
- Spin washing at the highest speed before drying.
Worth a look
- Smart plug with energy monitoring (Amazon, opens in a new tab)
Measure what your own appliance really uses per run, instead of the typical figure.
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