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Heated airer vs tumble dryer cost UK: the short answer
It depends on the type of tumble dryer, your load sizes and your tariff. Which?'s comparison, published 27 March 2026, suggests a heated airer usually costs less to run than a condenser or vented tumble dryer, but a heat pump tumble dryer came out lower than the airer.
So is a heated airer cheaper than a tumble dryer? Usually yes against a condenser or vented dryer; against a heat pump dryer, often not.
The airer figure assumes smaller loads than the tumble dryer figures, so this is not an exact like-for-like comparison.
These are Which?'s estimates, calculated at 24.67p/kWh (an older rate than today's), so treat them as a guide to the pattern rather than a bill:
- Heated airer: about 7p per hour on average, or about £55 a year for three smaller (2.15kg) loads a week.
- Dehumidifier: about 6p per hour on average, with a range of roughly 2p to 13p.
- Tumble dryers, three large loads a week: about £43 a year for a heat pump model, about £123 for a condenser and about £135 for a vented dryer.
How to work out an airer or dehumidifier cost by hand
Our tumble dryer cost calculator only models tumble dryers. It does not cover heated airers or dehumidifiers, but the sum for those is simple:
watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × your price per kWh (in pence) = cost in pence
You will find the wattage on the product label or in the manual.
Worked example (an illustration, not a quote)
Ofgem's price cap for Great Britain, from 1 October to 31 December 2026, sets an average electricity unit rate of 26.32p/kWh for Direct Debit customers. It does not apply in Northern Ireland, and your own tariff may differ, so swap in your own rate.
The wattages and hours below are made up for the example. Check your own appliance.
Assuming 26.32p/kWh:
- A 300W heated airer left on for 10 hours: 300 ÷ 1,000 × 10 = 3 kWh, and 3 × 26.32p is about 79p.
- A 250W dehumidifier running for 8 hours: 250 ÷ 1,000 × 8 = 2 kWh, and 2 × 26.32p is about 53p.
How the tumble dryer side is calculated
The calculator estimates tumble dryer cost per load, week, month and year from your dryer's energy label. You can enter either the annual kWh (which it divides by 160 cycles) or the kWh per cycle, then add your loads per week and an editable electricity rate. It leaves out the standing charge.
It has two presets: a heat-pump-style estimate of 220 kWh a year and a higher-use condenser-style estimate of 617 kWh a year. For illustration, at 26.32p/kWh those work out at roughly 36p and £1.01 per load (220 ÷ 160 = 1.375 kWh per load, and 617 ÷ 160 is about 3.86 kWh). Your figures will differ, so use the tool with your own rate.
Ways to cut the cost of drying indoors
Here are five ways to cut the cost of drying indoors:
- Spin faster. A higher spin speed removes more water before drying starts, so any method has less to do. Our washing machine cost calculator shows what each wash costs.
- Dry in one space. If you are not using a tumble dryer, put a dehumidifier in a small room with the door closed, not a big, draughty one.
- Use a cover on the airer. It keeps the warmth in around the clothes.
- Dry fuller, not overstuffed, loads. You run fewer tumble dryer cycles, and crowded airers take longer.
- Ventilate the room once the clothes are dry, so moisture does not linger.
Try it with your own numbers
Pop your dryer's energy label figure and your own electricity rate into the free tumble dryer cost calculator. Then do the quick by-hand sum for your airer or dehumidifier and compare the per-load costs side by side.
Results are estimates only — always check against your own bill or supplier.
Source note: airer, dehumidifier and tumble dryer running-cost estimates are from Which? (27 March 2026), calculated at 24.67p/kWh. Ofgem cap rate: average Great Britain Direct Debit electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, published 26 August 2026. TrimMyBills is independent and not affiliated with Ofgem, the government or any energy supplier. This article is general information, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is a heated airer cheaper than a tumble dryer? A: Often, against a condenser or vented tumble dryer. Which? estimated a heated airer at about £55 a year for three 2.15kg loads a week, against about £123 for a condenser and about £43 for a heat pump dryer doing three large loads (at 24.67p/kWh, March 2026). So a heat pump dryer can cost less. Your tariff and loads decide it.
Q: Is a dehumidifier cheaper than a tumble dryer? A: It can be, depending on the model and room. Which? put dehumidifiers at about 6p an hour on average (range 2p to 13p, at 24.67p/kWh), but gave no per-load figure, so work out cost per load with the sum above and compare it with the calculator's tumble dryer figure.
Q: How can I dry clothes in winter without a tumble dryer? A: Use a heated or standard airer in a ventilated room, or a dehumidifier in a small room with the door closed, and spin the wash at a higher speed first.
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Results are estimates only - always check against your own bill or supplier.