electric and gas clothes dryers

Clothes dryers are energy-intensive appliances. They account for about 6% of the power bill of many households. To reduce the cost of doing laundry, avoid using clothes dryers. It may save you $150 per year, or more.

Alternatives to clothes Dryers

If practical or possible, consider setting up an outdoor clothes line or an indoor drying rack instead of using and buying a clothes dryer. You will save up to $200 per year.

Energy-saving options

All clothes dryers work the same way; the big difference is in their energy source: gas or electricity.

Unless gas and electricity prices ratio are very atypical in your state or country, a gas clothes dryer is a more economically advantageous option. In most countries and states, you can save up to 50% in laundry energy costs choosing a gas dryer, which represents many hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of the clothes dryer.

Moisture sensor

New clothes dryers have a moisture sensor: a device placed in the drum for sensing dryness. This feature can save substantial amounts of energy.

Energy labels

Unlike other appliances, the energy used by clothes dryers doesn't vary significantly from model to model. That’s why they usually do not display energy-rating labels. The very distinctive feature in clothes dryers is on the type of energy source: gas or electricity.

Clothes dryer costs

Gas dryers cost on average around $50 more than electric units, which is a very small difference if we consider the typical difference of prices between natural gas and electricity.

Clothes dryer sizes

The dryer size should correspond to the capacity of the clothes washer (it should handle one load); do not buy a dryer that is too big or too small relatively to the washer loads. A small model will have to run more loads, which will represent much higher power consumption.

Making savings: how to operate with a clothes dryer

1- Drying partial loads will demand almost as much energy as full loads. So, use full loads without overloading.

2- Don't over-dry clothes: over-drying is a waste of energy and will shorten the lifespan of clothes;

3- Clean the lint filter after each load; it will increase the energy efficiency and the air circulation.

4- Use the moisture sensor feature, present in the new clothes dryers; do not use timed drying.

Clothes Dryers Manufacturers

GE, Maytag, Kenmore (Sears), Electrolux and Whirlpool are the most important clothes dryers manufacturers. They account for over 80% of the market sales. Amana, Frigidaire, Hotpoint, KitchenAid are brands of the main clothes dryers manufacturers.