How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer?

Question

I am sick to the back teeth of having a house totally draped with wet clothes and with summers apparantly a thing of the past (and not being keen on line dried laundry anyway - I like to smell my fabric conditioner!), I want to start using the tumble dryer a kind relative gave me. Its not a very new one - probably 5 years old.

Does anyone know how much it would cost (approx) to run this for an average of one hour a day - over the course of a year?

If its about £200, I'm prepared to sacrifice a couple of nights out!! Also, apparantly, if I turn down the central heating, once back on, a couple of degrees, this may pay for the cost of the dryer.... is this correct?

Answer 1

An A rated drier will cost you £500 and save you money in the long term but a normal one is £3.00 a load.

Look at alternatives like Heated clothes driers etc.  

Keep a tight rein on your CH.

Answer 2

doesnt cost a lot, i have one. i pay about £34 per month electricity for everything.  

Answer 3

£150 / £200 about right  

Answer 4

Electric tumble driers consume about 3 Kw,   and electric at !3p per Kw it would cost 39P per hour,

Gas tumble driers are more efficient and use about 13p per hour  !!

Summing up then, it could be more economical to sell the electric one and get a gas one instead.

If you are not in a gas area, it can be be economical to get bottled gas tumble drier, if you intend drying a lot of clothes.

Answer 5

I remember having one once...back in the days when you had that wheel thing which moved round so you could see how much electric you were using...when I was a student, and had to put coins in a meter! It would go round almost imperceptively, but turn the tumble dryer on and you could use the blooming wheel for a fan!!!