One specific household appliance that uses the most electricity can send your utility bill through the roof. Despite advancing technology and newer models offering improved energy efficiency, this appliance continues to be the largest consumer of electrical energy in the household. It’s the clothes dryer, an appliance that operates through intense heating and moisture removal processes. In most homes, the dryer exceeds in consumption even the electric oven or other traditionally energy-hungry appliances.
Dryer energy consumption
A typical drying cycle requires up to 2 kilowatt-hours (kWh) for a full 8-kilogram load of clothes. With the current average electricity price in green tariffs for December hovering around €0.18/kWh, each drying cycle costs approximately €0.36. While this amount seems negligible individually, it multiplies rapidly when a family uses the appliance repeatedly throughout the week, especially during winter months when natural drying takes longer.
The dryer’s high energy requirement isn’t solely due to consumption per cycle, but to the combination of prolonged operation and extremely high temperatures. The process of heating, continuous rotation, and moisture evaporation creates one of the most energy-intensive operations in the home.
Cost-effective alternatives for drying clothes
The dehumidifier emerges as the most efficient method for indoor drying without burdening your electricity bill. The consumption difference is impressive: a dehumidifier consumes between 0.20 to 0.35 kilowatt-hours per hour of operation.
Based on the average price of 18 cents per kilowatt-hour, a dehumidifier consuming 0.30 kWh/hour costs only €0.054 per hour or 43 cents for 8 hours of operation. Therefore, continuous dehumidifier operation for 8 hours costs slightly more than just one dryer cycle.
Beyond the financial benefits, the dehumidifier accelerates clothes drying, removes atmospheric moisture creating a warmer indoor environment, and prevents mold formation.
Electric drying rack as second choice
The electric or heated drying rack ranks second among the most effective quick-drying options, ideal for limited spaces.
Its advantages include:
• Gentle heating of contact bars with clothes
• Accelerated drying without overheating
• Easy use and portability
• Ability to install heated hangers in the bathroom
Despite slightly higher consumption than the dehumidifier (approximately 0.45 kWh per hour), it remains significantly more economical than the dryer. Specifically, one hour of operation costs €0.081 while 8 hours of daily use amounts to 65 cents.
