What does it cost to dry clothes indoors?
Short answer
A 300 W heated airer costs about 7.9p an hour at the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, and a 157 W dehumidifier about 4.1p. A full load costs about £1.24 in Beko's 8kg condenser dryer and 37.9p in its heat pump model. Ventilate while clothes dry.
Updated
7.9p
An hour for a 300 W heated airer
1 October to 31 December 2026
£1.24
A full load in an 8kg condenser tumble dryer
37.9p
A full load in an 8kg heat pump tumble dryer
In a flat or a house share without outdoor space, washing dries inside: on an airer, with a dehumidifier or in a tumble dryer. This guide prices each one at Ofgem's cap rates, shows how housemates can split a dryer's cost, and covers the condensation that drying indoors adds.
Work out what an appliance costs to run
Enter the appliance's power and how long it runs. The cost uses Ofgem's cap rate for your region and the way you pay, with the standing charge shown on its own.
On the rating plate or in the manual. 1 kW is 1,000 W.
How long it runs on a day you use it. Half an hour is 0.5.
Leave this at 1 if nobody shares the bill with you.
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Running cost
- an hour
- 7.9p
- a day of use
- £0.47
- a week
- £1.42
- a month
- £6.18
At 26.32p per kWh, the Great Britain average cap rate (Direct Debit).
Standing charge: 54.83p a day, about £16.68 a month. You pay it whether or not this appliance runs, so it is not in the figures above.
This assumes the appliance draws its full rated power for every hour it runs. A thermostat or a lower setting uses less.
Cap rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026, from Ofgem's regional tables. New cap rates apply from 1 January 2027. Ofgem's cap covers England, Scotland and Wales, not Northern Ireland.
How to split bills with housematesDrying costs at a glance
| Option | Power or energy (maker's figure) | Cost at 26.32p per kWh, 1 October to 31 December 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Heated airer | 300 W (Lakeland Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier) | 7.9p an hour; 47.4p for 6 hours |
| Dehumidifier | 157 W at 20°C and 60% humidity (Meaco 12L Low Energy) | 4.1p an hour; 33.1p for 8 hours |
| Condenser tumble dryer | 4.71 kWh a full load, 2.54 kWh a part load (Beko DCUS81, 8kg) | £1.24 a full load; 66.9p a part load |
| Heat pump tumble dryer | 1.44 kWh a full load, 0.81 kWh a part load (Beko B3T4824D, 8kg) | 37.9p a full load; 21.3p a part load |
How much does each way of drying clothes indoors cost?
Priced at the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. The table above sets them side by side.
- Heated airer: Lakeland rates its Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer at 300 W, about 7.9p an hour. Run for 6 hours, that is about 47.4p.
- Dehumidifier: Meaco's 12L Low Energy model draws 157 W at 20°C and 60% humidity, about 4.1p an hour, and has a laundry setting for drying washing indoors. 8 hours costs about 33.1p.
- Condenser tumble dryer: Beko's 8kg DCUS81 uses 4.71 kWh for a full load of cottons and 2.54 kWh for a part load, about £1.24 and 66.9p.
- Heat pump tumble dryer: Beko's 8kg B3T4824D uses 1.44 kWh for a full load and 0.81 kWh for a part load, about 37.9p and 21.3p.
- On these figures, a full load in the heat pump dryer costs less than 6 hours on the heated airer, and a full load in the condenser dryer costs more than either.
- Drying washing on radiators uses the central heating instead, so its cost depends on how long the heating runs.
- By region, the Direct Debit cap rate runs from 25.36p in the East Midlands to 27.86p in Merseyside and North Wales. Choose your region in the calculator above for its figure.
- These costs use the cap rates for 1 October to 31 December 2026. New cap rates apply from 1 January 2027, and a fixed tariff keeps the rates in its contract.
- Ofgem's cap covers default tariffs in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, use the unit rate on your own bill.
Sources: Lakeland: Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer instruction booklet (read 15 October 2026); Meaco: 12L Low Energy dehumidifier (read 15 October 2026); Beko: DCUS81 8kg condenser tumble dryer (read 15 October 2026); Beko: B3T4824D 8kg heat pump tumble dryer (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (read 15 October 2026)
Does drying clothes indoors cause condensation and mould?
It adds moisture to the air, so ventilation matters. In a rented home in England, the landlord is legally responsible for addressing damp and mould.
- The government's damp and mould guidance for England lists drying laundry, with showering and cooking, among the normal activities that put moisture into the air, and says condensation is one of the most common causes of damp and mould in homes.
- Among the steps it suggests landlords discuss with tenants are drying laundry outdoors if possible and opening windows periodically.
- It also says tenants who struggle to heat their homes, or heat them irregularly, can see more condensation and damp.
- It says landlords are legally responsible for addressing damp and mould, and that it is unreasonable to blame damp and mould on tenants' lifestyle choices.
- A dehumidifier takes moisture out of the air as clothes dry, and Meaco's 12L model has a laundry setting for that job.
- This is the guidance for England. Wherever you rent, report damp or mould to your landlord or letting agent.
Sources: GOV.UK: understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home (read 15 October 2026); Meaco: 12L Low Energy dehumidifier (read 15 October 2026)
How do housemates split the cost of a tumble dryer?
- Per-load costs are small but add up: at 4 full loads a week, Beko's condenser dryer costs about £21.55 a month and its heat pump dryer about £6.59 (Taupia arithmetic).
- If one housemate dries far more than the others, the house can agree that they cover their extra loads.
- Shelter's guidance for England says the person or people named on a bill are usually responsible for paying it, so agree any adjustment with the account holder.
Sources: Shelter England: bills in a shared house (read 15 October 2026); Beko: DCUS81 8kg condenser tumble dryer (read 15 October 2026); Beko: B3T4824D 8kg heat pump tumble dryer (read 15 October 2026)
How do I work out what drying a load costs?
Four steps, from the maker's figure to a dry room.
- 1
Find the energy a load uses
Tumble dryer makers list the kWh a full and a part load of cottons uses in the product information.
- 2
Multiply by your unit rate
Multiply that kWh figure by the unit rate on your bill, or by the cap rate for your region.
- 3
Price an airer or dehumidifier by the hour
Multiply its kilowatts by the hours it runs and your unit rate: 300 W for 6 hours is 1.8 kWh.
- 4
Keep the room ventilated
Open a window or run an extractor fan while the clothes dry, so the moisture leaves the room.
Sources: Beko: DCUS81 8kg condenser tumble dryer (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home (read 15 October 2026)
How can Taupia help with laundry costs in a shared home?
- Taupia keeps the household's energy, broadband, mobile and water bills in one place and splits each one between housemates.
- Your household sets the split rule: each person gets a percentage of a bill, so a housemate who runs a heater all day can carry a bigger share of the energy bill.
- Taupia tracks who has paid their share. It never moves money between housemates.
- It compares energy deals from 19 suppliers covering around 90% of the GB market, and switches only once your household approves.
- Taupia is free.
Questions about drying clothes indoors
How much does a heated airer cost to run per hour?
A 300 W airer such as Lakeland's Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier costs about 7.9p an hour at the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. 6 hours costs about 47.4p.
Is a heated airer cheaper than a tumble dryer?
Cheaper than a condenser dryer unless it runs for more than about 15 hours. A 300 W airer costs about 7.9p an hour and a full load in Beko's 8kg condenser dryer about £1.24, at the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Its heat pump dryer's full load, about 37.9p, costs less than 6 hours on the airer.
How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?
Meaco lists its 12L Low Energy dehumidifier at 157 W in a room at 20°C and 60% humidity, about 4.1p an hour at the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. 8 hours costs about 33.1p.
Does drying clothes indoors cause mould?
It adds moisture to the air. The government's damp and mould guidance for England names drying laundry as a normal activity that produces indoor moisture, and condensation as one of the most common causes of damp and mould. It says landlords are legally responsible for addressing damp and mould. Ventilate while clothes dry.
How much does a tumble dryer cost per load?
Beko's 8kg condenser dryer uses 4.71 kWh for a full load of cottons, about £1.24 at the cap's Great Britain average Direct Debit rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Its 8kg heat pump dryer uses 1.44 kWh, about 37.9p. Your own dryer's figure is in its product information.
More on running costs and shared bills
The calculator, the other appliance guides and the cap rates behind every figure.
Start here
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Fan, convector, oil-filled and panel heaters per hour, against gas central heating.
What an electric blanket costs to run
The cost per hour and per month, and the safety checks to make each winter.
How to split bills with housemates
Fair ways to divide a shared bill, with a calculator for the even split.
Energy price cap rates by region
The unit rate and standing charge in your own region, for each way of paying.
Cite this page
Taupia. "What does it cost to dry clothes indoors?". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/compare-energy-prices/appliance-running-costs/drying-clothes-indoors
Splitting the laundry costs?
Taupia splits each bill between housemates by the percentages your household sets and tracks who has paid, without moving any money. It compares energy deals from 19 suppliers covering around 90% of the GB market. It is free, and nothing changes without your approval.