How Much Does It Cost to Run a Heat Pump Dryer in the UK? (2026)
A heat pump dryer recycles hot air instead of venting it, so it draws about a third of the power of a conventional dryer. Cycles take longer, but total energy per load is about half.
A typical heat pump dryer (900 W) costs £0.24 per hour, or about £14.21 per month at 2 hours a day in the UK. Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 600 W | £0.16 | £0.32 | £9.48 | £115.28 |
| Typical 900 W | £0.24 | £0.47 | £14.21 | £172.92 |
| High 1,200 W | £0.32 | £0.63 | £18.95 | £230.56 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 2 h/day ≈ 657 kWh per year.
One hour of a heat pump dryer (0.90 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 5.0km in an electric car
- 9.0hours of TV
- 20hours of a laptop
- 100hours of an LED bulb
In the UK, with electricity at 26.3p per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Oct–31 Dec 2026, 2026-10), a typical heat pump dryer costs £0.24 per hour and about £172.92 per year at 2 hours a day. Each £1.00 of electricity buys roughly 4.2 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a heat pump dryer
- Clean both the lint filter and the heat exchanger filter regularly.
- Do not overload. Heat pump dryers are sensitive to airflow.
- Use the auto-dry sensor rather than timed programs.
In standby it draws about 1 W, which adds roughly 9 kWh (£2.31) per year if it is never unplugged.
Is switching from a clothes dryer to a heat pump dryer worth it? Savings and payback
Frequently asked questions
How much does a heat pump dryer cost per load?
About 1.5 kWh, versus 3 kWh or more for a vented dryer.
Why does a heat pump dryer take longer?
It dries at a lower temperature. The energy saving comes from reusing the heat.
Is a heat pump dryer worth the higher price?
For households drying several loads a week, the savings typically repay the difference within a few years.
Compare with
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Clothes Iron1,500 W typical
- Vacuum Cleaner1,000 W typical
- Robot Vacuum30 W typical
- Clothes Dryer3,000 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz