How much electricity does a clothes dryer use?
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Anyone asking about the electricity consumption of a tumble dryer usually also wants to know: Is it worth using? After all, the appliance promises fluffy laundry with minimal effort.
How much does a dryer load cost?
Depending on the dryer model, you should expect to pay between 50 cents and 2 euros per load. Older appliances may cost even more. You can reduce these costs with various tips.
A load on the DRY-SMART costs you absolutely nothing during the summer months. In winter, it depends on how thoroughly you need to ventilate and how high the costs are for reheating the apartment. However, you shouldn't skimp on fresh air, even without drying laundry.
How is the electricity consumption of a dryer calculated?
If an electrical appliance uses 1000 watts and you run it for one hour, you will consume exactly one kilowatt-hour. Using a meter plugged into the wall socket and a clock, you can therefore determine precisely how much electricity your clothes dryer uses for a load of laundry. Alternatively, you can compare the manufacturer's specifications. These will provide information on the electricity consumption for an average load of laundry. This information is based on standardized conditions and is therefore a reliable basis for comparison when making a purchase decision.
Energy-efficient heat pump dryers nowadays use approximately 1.5 to 2.5 kWh for a load of about 8 kilograms of laundry. Older appliances without heat pump technology consume up to 5 kWh for a single load.
If you simply forgo two dryer cycles per week during the summer months, you'll save at least 75 kWh. At an electricity price of 40 cents per kWh (which is already quite low these days), that's a saving of 30 euros.
Which uses more electricity – a vented dryer or a condenser dryer?
A vented dryer heats the air inside the dryer, allowing it to hold more moisture. The warm laundry releases this moisture into the air, and the dryer then vents the air, moisture, and heat outside. Aside from the fact that this requires an external vent, it's immediately obvious how much energy such models waste. Nevertheless, for a long time, the condenser dryer was considered the most wasteful way to dry laundry. Here, the warm, moist air isn't vented outside but instead passes through a cooling coil. Similar to an air conditioner, the air is cooled, reducing its ability to hold water vapor. The water condenses and can be collected in a container. A heat pump dryer works on the same principle. Thanks to the heat pump's ability to heat and cool simultaneously, it saves a significant amount of energy. Of all the electric clothes dryers, the heat pump dryer is therefore the most energy-efficient.
Which type of dryer uses the least energy?
The heat pump dryer is therefore the most economical when it comes to electronically drying your laundry: The heat produced is not lost and the cooling required for condensation is generated as a byproduct of the heat production.
What's often forgotten, however, is the good old clothesline. With this method, you don't need any electricity at all to dry your laundry. The DRY-SMART models are also so intelligently designed that they take up less space than an electric dryer. With these models, you can simply let the ambient air dry your laundry both indoors and on your balcony. We should also mention that drying laundry indoors can have an impact on heating. The humid air needs to escape, and frequent ventilation cools the room down. Therefore, a detailed comparison of all clothes dryers, especially in winter, isn't as simple as it might initially seem.