Dryer Power Use

Know how much a kilowatt costs in your home before trying to calculate power use.

Appliances use a great amount of power while turned on and even a little when they are turned off. A clothes dryer is no exception. Dryer energy consumption varies from model to model. It's important to know the type of model you own to properly gauge the energy usage.

Age

An older dryer will use more energy than younger, more efficient counterparts. An older dryer may use 4000 kilowatts while a relatively new dryer only uses 760 kilowatts yearly. Newer models are often given the Energy-Star seal of approval which means they use less energy.

Location

A dryer in an open garage is going to use more energy that a dryer inside a home. This is because the dryer is in a more insulated area and less heat is likely to escape. The less heat the dryer has to give off the less energy the appliance will consume.

Electric vs. Gas

All dryers use electricity to run the drum inside the dryer. The heat can be created either from heated coils using electricity or a gas burner. More households have hookups for electric dryers and they are cheaper to buy, but gas dryers are cheaper to run over their lifetime.

References

• Clothes dryer information