How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer?
A tumble dryer with a typical power of 2,500 watts costs 65.8p an hour at the current price cap.
Uses Ofgem's price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026: 26.32p per kWh, the average for Great Britain when paying by Direct Debit. Prices checked 13 November 2026.
Result
A tumble dryer (2,500 W) costs 65.8p an hour to run at the price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh.
an hour, to the nearest penny
| A day | 65.8p |
|---|---|
| A week | £4.61 |
| A month | £20.01 |
| A year | £240.17 |
| Electricity used in a year | 913 kWh |
That is 37% of the 2,500 kWh a typical home uses in a year.
Show the workings
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Turn watts into kilowatts | 2,500 W ÷ 1,000 | 2.5 kW |
| Cost of one hour | 2.5 kWh × 26.32p per kWh | 65.8p |
| Cost of one day's use | 65.8p × 1 hours | 65.8p |
| Cost of one week | 65.8p × 7 days | £4.61 |
| Cost of one year | £4.61 ÷ 7 × 365 days | £240.17 |
What this leaves out or assumes
- The standing charge is left out, because you pay it whether or not you use this appliance.
- A month is one twelfth of a year.
- The appliance draws its full power for the whole time it is on.
Where the figures come from
- Electricity unit rate, price cap, Great Britain average, Direct Debit: 26.32p per kWh. Source: Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Typical yearly electricity use, medium user: 2,500 kWh a year. Source: Ofgem: Review of typical domestic consumption values, decision (Table 1). Checked 13 November 2026.
Typical power for a tumble dryer is from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?. Yours may differ: check its rating plate.
Cost by how long it runs
| Running for | Electricity used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0.208 kWh | 5.5p |
| 10 minutes | 0.417 kWh | 11p |
| 30 minutes | 1.25 kWh | 32.9p |
| 1 hour | 2.5 kWh | 65.8p |
| 2 hours | 5 kWh | £1.32 |
| 4 hours | 10 kWh | £2.63 |
| 8 hours | 20 kWh | £5.26 |
| 24 hours | 60 kWh | £15.79 |
Cost over a month and a year
If you used it this much every day:
| Used for | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes a day | £10.01 | £120.09 |
| 1 hour a day | £20.01 | £240.17 |
| 2 hours a day | £40.03 | £480.34 |
| 4 hours a day | £80.06 | £960.68 |
| 8 hours a day | £160.11 | £1,921 |
| All day, every day | £480.34 | £5,764 |
How much electricity does a tumble dryer use?
A tumble dryer rated at 2,500 watts uses 2.5 kWh of electricity for every hour it draws full power. Used for 1 hour every day, that is 913 kWh a year, 37% of the 2,500 kWh a typical home uses.
Cost in your region
The price cap is different in each region. Running a tumble dryer for an hour costs 63.4p in East Midlands, the cheapest region, and 69.7p in Merseyside and Northern Wales, the dearest.
| Region | Price per kWh | Cost for an hour |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 25.36p | 63.4p |
| Eastern England | 26.61p | 66.5p |
| London | 26.60p | 66.5p |
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86p | 69.7p |
| North Eastern England | 25.46p | 63.7p |
| North Western England | 26.49p | 66.2p |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35p | 65.9p |
| South Eastern England | 26.88p | 67.2p |
| South Western England | 26.58p | 66.4p |
| Southern England | 26.47p | 66.2p |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11p | 65.3p |
| Southern Wales | 26.55p | 66.4p |
| West Midlands | 25.60p | 64p |
| Yorkshire | 25.60p | 64p |
Paying by Direct Debit. Prices for other ways of paying.
How it compares
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour |
|---|---|---|
| Tumble dryer | 2,500 W | 65.8p |
| Washing machine | 2,100 W | 55.3p |
| Iron | 1,500 W | 39.5p |
| Vacuum cleaner | 900 W | 23.7p |
Running costs of every appliance
Checking your own tumble dryer
2,500 watts is a typical figure. Yours may be higher or lower. Look for the rating plate on the back or underside, find the number followed by W or kW, and put it in the calculator above.
Typical power is from Centre for Sustainable Energy: How much electricity am I using?, checked 13 November 2026. Prices are from Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges. The costs are our own sums.