Heat Pump Tumble Dryer Running Costs Calculator

At the Ofgem Direct Debit price cap average of 26.11p/kWh, a typical full-load cotton cycle using around 1.9 kWh costs about 50p. At 4 cycles a week, that works out at roughly £103 a year, though your actual cost depends on your appliance's energy use and your own electricity tariff.

Heat pump dryers typically use less than half the energy of a vented or standard condenser dryer per cycle (around 1.9 kWh versus around 4.0 kWh), because they recycle and reuse hot air rather than constantly generating fresh heat with a resistive element. At typical usage this can mean well over £100 a year in savings, though the exact figure depends on your frequency of use and tariff.

No. A standard condenser dryer uses a resistive heating element (like a vented dryer) and simply condenses the moist air into a water tank instead of venting it outside, so its energy use is broadly similar to a vented dryer. A heat pump dryer uses a genuinely different heat-pump mechanism to recycle heat, which is what gives it the substantial energy saving.

Heat pump dryers typically run at a lower temperature and recycle air through the heat pump system, which usually makes a full cycle longer (often 2.5-3.5 hours for a full cotton load) than a vented or condenser dryer. The trade-off is lower energy use per cycle, not a faster cycle.

Only if you are on the Ofgem Direct Debit price cap default tariff at the current rate. Prices vary by supplier, tariff type, region, and payment method, and the price cap itself changes roughly every three months, so replace the default with your own unit rate for an accurate result.

Both vented and standard condenser dryers heat air with a resistive element in essentially the same way; the difference between them is how they get rid of the moisture, not how the heat is generated. That is why this calculator uses one comparison figure for both dryer types.

Usage varies widely by household size, but a commonly cited estimate is around 3-5 cycles a week for an average family household. Larger households or those without outdoor drying space may run considerably more.

No. This calculator estimates only the additional energy cost of running the dryer itself; your electricity standing charge is a fixed daily cost you pay regardless of dryer usage, so it is not part of a dryer-specific running cost comparison.

That depends on how often you dry laundry and how long you plan to keep the appliance. Heat pump dryers typically cost more to buy but can save well over £100 a year in energy for a moderate-use household, so the extra purchase cost is often recovered within a few years of typical use.

Yes. The default 1.9 kWh figure is a reasonable typical estimate for a full-load cotton cycle, but for a more accurate result, check your appliance's EU/UK energy label or manual.

Generally yes; a smaller or lighter load typically uses somewhat less energy than a full-load cotton cycle, though the reduction is not always proportional to load size, since some fixed energy is used regardless of load.

Yes. The Ofgem price cap changes roughly every three months, and this calculator's default reflects the rate in place for July-September 2026. Update the electricity price field with the current rate for the most accurate ongoing estimate.

Cost per cycle is a single wash-and-dry cycle's energy cost. Cost per month multiplies your weekly usage by 52 weeks and divides by 12, giving an average monthly figure rather than assuming exactly 4 weeks in every month.

Electricity prices change periodically, and showing how a 10% price move affects your annual cost helps you understand how sensitive your running cost is to future tariff changes, without needing to re-enter figures manually.