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How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer?

An electric dryer uses about 2.15 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a load. At 12 loads a month, that’s about 25.8 kWh a month.

What do you run?

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  • Loads a monthLoads a month
    kWh
    How manyHow many

    2.15 kWh a load × 12 loads = 25.8 kWh · 25.8 kWh × 18.0¢ US average = $4.64 a month

    A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 1,000 watts for one hour. It’s what your bill counts.

    We assume 12 loads a month.

$5a month

$5 a month

About $56 a year, or 15.3¢ a day.

Estimate my billSee prices by state

What does a dryer cost to run in each state?

The same dryer costs more than three times as much in Hawaii as in North Dakota.

  1. Hawaii$11.43 · 44.3¢
  2. California$8.33 · 32.3¢
  3. Massachusetts$7.84 · 30.4¢
  4. Maine$7.64 · 29.6¢
  5. Rhode Island$7.59 · 29.4¢
  6. US average$4.64 · 18.0¢
  7. Idaho$3.30 · 12.8¢
  8. Nebraska$3.28 · 12.7¢
  9. North Dakota$3.17 · 12.3¢
See prices by state

A dryer (2.15 kWh a load, 12 loads a month) at each state’s average price.

State averages · last 12 months · US government data (EIA)

More in the laundry room

FAQ

Questions about dryer power

The middle ENERGY STAR electric dryer uses about 2.15 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a load, from its yearly kWh over the federal test’s 283 loads a year.

Information as of Nov 2, 2026.

Our numbers come from US government data (EIA) and ENERGY STAR.

Clothes dryer figures: ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Clothes Dryers (opens data.energystar.gov in a new tab) (pulled Nov 3, 2026); DOE test procedure, 10 CFR 430 subpart B, appendix D1 §4.4 (opens www.ecfr.gov in a new tab). We assume 12 loads a month.

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