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How much does it cost to run an electric clothes dryer?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running an electric clothes dryer costs about $143 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per cycle
- 54.9¢
- Per day
- 39.1¢
- Per month
- $11.90
- Per year
- $143
Assumption: 3.00 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week — 780 kWh a year. A standard vented electric dryer. Heat-pump dryers use roughly half this per load.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $8.27 | $99.22 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $8.30 | $99.61 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $8.53 | $102 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $8.72 | $105 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $8.91 | $107 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $8.92 | $107 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $8.96 | $107 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $8.98 | $108 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $9.31 | $112 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $9.33 | $112 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $9.33 | $112 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $9.45 | $113 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $9.56 | $115 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $9.74 | $117 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $9.77 | $117 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $9.85 | $118 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $9.93 | $119 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $9.99 | $120 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $10.00 | $120 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $10.06 | $121 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $10.26 | $123 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $10.32 | $124 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $10.38 | $125 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $10.39 | $125 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $10.46 | $126 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $10.46 | $126 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $10.58 | $127 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $10.66 | $128 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $10.87 | $130 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $11.05 | $133 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $11.34 | $136 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $11.41 | $137 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $12.01 | $144 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $12.39 | $149 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $12.49 | $150 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $12.64 | $152 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $13.92 | $167 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $14.12 | $169 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $14.98 | $180 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $15.44 | $185 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $15.70 | $188 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $16.37 | $196 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $16.39 | $197 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $17.29 | $207 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $18.39 | $221 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $18.74 | $225 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $19.43 | $233 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $19.82 | $238 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $21.07 | $253 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $21.85 | $262 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $31.20 | $374 |
Cutting the number down
- The spin speed of the washer sets the dryer's workload. A faster final spin removes water mechanically instead of thermally, which is far cheaper.
- A blocked lint screen or crushed vent hose makes every load run longer at full heat.
- Back-to-back loads reuse a drum that is already hot.
Questions
- How many watts does an electric clothes dryer use?
- Usage is better expressed as 3.00 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week.
- How much does an electric clothes dryer cost per month?
- About $11.90 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $143 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $99.22 a year, versus $374 in Hawaii — a spread of $275.