Indoor Clothes Drying Cost Comparison

There is no universally cheapest drying method because appliance efficiency, load size and runtime vary. This tool lets you enter your own power and duration assumptions for a fairer comparison.

Electricity rate (pence/kWh)

DehumidifierWattsHours per completed load

Heated airerWattsHours per completed load

Tumble dryerWattsHours per completed load

Method	Energy	Estimated cost/load
Heated airer	1.80 kWh	£0.47
Dehumidifier	2.00 kWh	£0.53
Tumble dryer	3.75 kWh	£0.99

Edit the figures to match your own appliances. The cheapest hourly option is not necessarily the cheapest per completed load.

What the result means

Compare the cost per completed load, not just cost per hour.
A low-power appliance can still cost more if it has to run for much longer.
For tumble dryers, label kWh-per-cycle data is usually better than rated wattage.

Related guides

Read more about the topics covered by this calculator:

How this calculator works

Formula

Cost per load = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours × electricity rate

Inputs

Power (watts) for each method
Hours per completed load for each method
Electricity rate (pence/kWh)

Outputs

Energy per load (kWh)
Cost per load for each method

Assumptions

Each method is compared using the same electricity rate.
Edit the watts and hours to match your specific appliances.
The cheapest hourly option is not necessarily the cheapest per completed load.

Example calculation

Dehumidifier (250W × 8h = 2 kWh = 52.6p) vs tumble dryer (2500W × 1.5h = 3.75 kWh = 98.7p). The dehumidifier costs less per load but takes longer.

Tariff source

Default rates from Ofgem. Override in calculator.

Limitations

Does not account for drying effectiveness or fabric care.
Heat-pump dryers may have different cycle times depending on load and programme.
Room conditions (temperature, humidity) affect actual drying time.