How much does an electric clothes dryer cost per month in South Carolina?

About $10.11 a month, assuming 3.00 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week at 15.55¢/kWh.

How many kilowatt-hours does an electric clothes dryer use?

Roughly 780 kWh a year under these assumptions.

Is that expensive compared with other states?

South Carolina has the 21st cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $143 a year.

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Cost to run an electric clothes dryer in South Carolina (June 2026 rates)

At 15.55¢ per kilowatt-hour — South Carolina's average residential price in June 2026 — running an electric clothes dryer costs $121 a year. That is 15% less than the national average of $143. South Carolina's residential rate is up 5.1% from June 2025, which moves this appliance from $115 to $121 a year.

Per cycle: 46.7¢
Per day: 33.2¢
Per month: $10.11
Per year: $121

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. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.

How South Carolina compares

South Carolina pays 15.55¢/kWh, the 21st cheapest residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $21.76 less a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same electric clothes dryer costs $102 a year in Nevada and $411 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $309 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
South Dakota	15.36¢	$9.98	$120
West Virginia	15.45¢	$10.04	$121
South Carolina	15.55¢	$10.11	$121
Kansas	15.71¢	$10.21	$123
Iowa	15.93¢	$10.35	$124

States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for an electric clothes dryer.

What else costs about the same in South Carolina

Portable air conditioner$131 a year in SC Space heater$134 a year in SC Window air conditioner$107 a year in SC

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 much does an electric clothes dryer cost per month in South Carolina?: About $10.11 a month, assuming 3.00 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week at 15.55¢/kWh.
How many kilowatt-hours does an electric clothes dryer use?: Roughly 780 kWh a year under these assumptions.
Is that expensive compared with other states?: South Carolina has the 21st cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $143 a year.