How much does a washer-dryer cost to run?
About 92p a run on a standard tariff, or around £144 a year at 3 times a week. Less at the right time on a time-of-use tariff.
Today's cost where you live
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A washer-dryer is two appliances in one, and the drying half is where the money goes. A full wash-and-dry cycle can take five hours and use several units, most of it in the drying stage.
How we work it out
A typical washer-dryer uses about 3.5kWh for wash and dry, full load, taking around 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 92p. 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
- Dry the washing on an airer or outside when you can, and use the dryer part for the last bit only.
- Dry smaller loads than you wash. Most washer-dryers dry about half the load they can wash, and overfilling makes the dry stage run far longer.
- Use the highest spin speed before drying.
A cheaper option
A heated airer dries a load for a fraction of the cost, just more slowly. See what a heated airer costs to run.
Worth a look
- Heated airer with a cover (Amazon, opens in a new tab)
Dries a load for a fraction of what a tumble dryer costs. The cover halves the drying time.
- 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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