How much does it cost to run a heat pump tumble dryer? (2026 price cap)
At the GB-average Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, a heat pump tumble dryer rated at 900W costs 24p an hour to run and around £53.38 a year assuming 3 loads a week, averaging 1.3kWh each.
Per hour
24p
Per typical use
34p
Per day
15p
Per week
£1.03
Per year
£53.38
Typical rating and how we worked this out
This page uses a typical rating of 900W for a heat pump tumble dryer; published figures for this appliance range from 700W to 1.1kW. Heat pump tumble dryers recycle heat rather than generating it afresh with a resistive element, so they use roughly a third of the energy of a vented dryer for the same load — Which?-derived data puts a typical heat pump dryer's annual cost at well under half a condenser model's — though cycles typically run longer. The running cost follows the same formula used across this site: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. Typical use is modelled as 3 loads a week, averaging 1.3kWh each, which is how the per-day, per-week and per-year figures above were calculated — see the cost-to-run calculator to change the wattage, hours or region yourself.
Rate used: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average electricity — 26.32p/kWh (excl. VAT, removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027).
Cost by region
Same appliance, same use — ranked most to least expensive by region under the price cap:
| Region | Elec p/kWh | Cost per hour | Typical annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86 | 25p | £56.50 |
| South Eastern England | 26.88 | 24p | £54.51 |
| Eastern England | 26.61 | 24p | £53.97 |
| London | 26.60 | 24p | £53.94 |
| South Western England | 26.58 | 24p | £53.90 |
| Southern Wales | 26.55 | 24p | £53.84 |
| North Western England | 26.49 | 24p | £53.72 |
| Southern England | 26.47 | 24p | £53.68 |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35 | 24p | £53.44 |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11 | 23p | £52.95 |
| West Midlands | 25.60 | 23p | £51.92 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60 | 23p | £51.92 |
| North Eastern England | 25.46 | 23p | £51.63 |
| East Midlands | 25.36 | 23p | £51.43 |
| Great Britain average | 26.32 | 24p | £53.38 |
East Midlands is cheapest at £51.43 a year; Merseyside and Northern Wales is most expensive at £56.50 a year — a gap of £5.07 for identical use.
How a heat pump tumble dryer compares with similar appliances
Ranked by typical annual cost in laundry, GB average:
- heat pump tumble dryer — £53.38 a year (this page)
- washing machine (40°C cycle) — £51.32 a year
- iron — £48.03 a year
- washing machine (60°C cycle) — £32.85 a year
- washing machine (30°C cycle) — £30.79 a year
- condenser tumble dryer — £127 a year
Three practical ways to cut the cost
- Let the longer cycle run its course — heat pump dryers trade time for a much lower cost per load
- Clean both the fluff filter and the heat-exchanger filter — a blocked exchanger is a common cause of poor performance
- Choose heat pump over condenser or vented when replacing a dryer — the extra price is usually repaid within a few years
FAQs
- How much does it cost to run a heat pump tumble dryer for an hour?
- 24p at the GB-average rate (26.32p/kWh, 900W). One typical use — 3 loads a week, averaging 1.3kWh each — costs closer to 34p.
- How much does a heat pump tumble dryer cost to run per year?
- Around £53.38 a year at the GB-average rate, assuming 3 loads a week, averaging 1.3kWh each — about £1.03 a week.
- Which UK region is cheapest to run a heat pump tumble dryer in?
- East Midlands, at £51.43 a year, against £56.50 in Merseyside and Northern Wales — £5.07 apart for identical use, purely from the regional rate.
- Does the exact wattage of my heat pump tumble dryer change the cost much?
- Yes — ratings range 700W–1.1kW, so the top of that range costs about 1.6x the bottom. This page uses 900W; check your own rating plate.
- Does the October 2026 price cap affect this figure?
- Yes — figures use the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Electricity excludes VAT (removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027); gas includes 5%. See the price cap page for the full breakdown.
Sources
- Which?-sourced appliance running-cost table (tumble dryer types, dishwasher, washing machine) — wattage and usage figures for this appliance.
- Ofgem — Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (regional tables, read 12 September 2026).
Related
- Cost-to-run calculator and full A–Z — check any appliance or enter a custom wattage.
- Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 — every region, every payment method.
- Back-billing calculator — if a bill for this or any appliance looks like it covers too many months.
- Free bill audit — if your overall energy costs look high regardless of any one appliance.
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