Gas Dryer BTU

Dryers are the number two home appliance in energy usage.

The average cost to run a dryer for an hour depends on the power consumed by the dryer in an hour. Some dryers are electric and others run on gas, but electric dryers notoriously consume more energy than gas dryers do. Overall, dryers in the U.S. emit 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and use 43 billion kilowatt hours and 443 million therms of natural gas.

Electric Dryer

The label on the back of the dryer should indicate the watts it uses. Electric companies charge by the kilowatt hour, so calculating how much it costs to run an electric dryer starts with finding out the kilowatts it takes to run the dryer for an hour. The formula for determining usage is watts times the hours used divided by 1, 000 to get the total kilowatt hours. Average dryers use between 1, 800 to 5, 000 watts or 1.8 to 5 kilowatt hours - 1, 800 and 5, 000 times one hour divided by 1, 000. Using Northern California PG&E rates at $.14 per kilowatt hour for an example, most electric dryers average between $.25 and $.70 to run for an hour.

Gas Dryer

Gas dryers use electricity to run the motor but gas to dry the clothes. Since gas dryers are rated in British Thermal Units, you need to convert the BTUs to therms, which is how the utility company charges for gas. A typical dryer uses between approximately 11, 000 BTUs per hour because the gas cycles on and off during the drying time. One therm equals 100, 000 BTUs, which means a dryer uses .11 therm per hour. The gas costs roughly $.11 for an hour. Electricity to power the drum uses .15 per kilowatt hour, resulting in a cost of $.12 per hour to run the dryer.

Cutting Costs

To cut the costs of running a dryer for an hour, group similar fabric types together when drying. Instead of mixing heavy-duty jeans with T-shirts and socks, dry the lighter fabrics in a separate load for a faster load. Don't put dripping wet clothes into the dryer, as it will take longer than an hour for the dryer to work. Take advantage of the dryer's retained heat by drying a second load after the first. Double-check the lint trap before drying, and remove any lint to help the dryer operate at peak efficiency.

Clothesline

The most inexpensive way to dry clothes is to use a clothesline and air-dry clothes for free. Fabrics smell fresher when dried outdoors. After removing dried items from the clothesline, toss into the dryer with a fabric softener sheet for 15 minutes to soften stiff items. If you don't want to go to the trouble of hanging all your laundry on a clothesline, consider hanging heavy jeans and towels on the line and just using the dryer for quick-drying items.

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