Better Home Climate

Three editable methods

What is the cheapest way to dry your laundry?

Compare the same load using your electricity tariff, appliance wattage and actual drying time. Every assumption is visible and editable.

Starting tariff: 26.32p/kWh. GB average, Direct Debit, 1 October–31 December 2026. Use your billed rate, not this example; the cap does not cover Northern Ireland. Standing charge is excluded and no extra VAT is added. Currency selection changes the display, not the exchange rate or local tariff. Ofgem source ↗ · tariff checked 7 October 2026.

Dehumidifier
Heated airer
Tumble dryer

Lowest estimated electricity cost first

Compare the same finished load.

Example inputs are placeholders. Replace them with the label, manual or plug-meter result for each appliance.

Lowest estimate

Dehumidifier

£0.25 per load
Energy
0.93 kWh
Per month
£4.25
Per year
£51.00
Estimate 2

Heated airer

£0.63 per load
Energy
2.40 kWh
Per month
£10.95
Per year
£131.39
Estimate 3

Tumble dryer

£0.99 per load
Energy
3.75 kWh
Per month
£17.11
Per year
£205.30

Electricity only. This does not price appliance purchase, maintenance, detergent, ventilation, room heating or fabric wear. Methods can also produce different drying results. Measure a complete comparable load whenever possible.

Turn the estimate into a decision

Check fit before you buy.

The cheapest estimate is only useful if the method suits your room, temperature and laundry load. Use the sizing helper, then compare documented specifications and limitations.

Step 1 · Free toolFind a sensible dehumidifier capacity bandUse room size and moisture load →Step 2 · Specification-led guideCompare laundry-focused dehumidifiersSee evidence, trade-offs and shortlist →Step 3 · Cost guideUnderstand what the calculator cannot priceCompare time, heat and room conditions →
Retailer options

These are affiliate links. We may earn a commission from a qualifying purchase at no extra cost to you. The links do not change the shortlist.

A fair comparison

Cost the outcome—not one arbitrary hour.

A lower-wattage appliance can run for much longer. A higher-wattage appliance may finish sooner. Multiply kilowatts by the complete operating time and active-load percentage to estimate the energy used for one finished load.

Rated power is not always continuous power. Humidistats, heaters, fans and heat-pump controls can cycle. A suitable plug-level meter used across the complete load provides a better input.

Read the evidence-led comparison →