Tumble Dryer Cost

[Brad93]

Stuck on variable tariff electric at the minute.
I think we are paying 29p/kWh.

Our electric is costing us a fortune and i'm trying to work out why.

Tumble has been on a lot lately and it's not exactly new, it's about 10 years old.

I've just put the clamp meter on the live and it's drawing 10.2A. Checked voltage, 241v RMS.

I work that out to be 2.5kW roughly.

Is this excessive for a tumble, some places suggest up to 3kW is common?

We barely use the heating which helps keep the energy bill down, but our smart meter reckons we are using the same amount of electric as a house of 5! It's two of us plus dog.

Any suggestions, other things to check etc? Maybe one of the neighbours is hooked up to us!

 

[brightspark]

vented dryers are cheaper to run than a condensing one . still dear no matter what

 

[daleyd]

Tumble dryers (any heating really, but cooking/ovens tend to regulate on/off) are one of the biggest users, it’s like a kettle being on for an hour or more at a time.

 

[MattF]

I bought a condenser dryer when I moved in here. Used it for one winter, & got rid of it then. They eat electric.

 

[angellonewolf]

tumble dryers cookers and any type of heating is expensive on electric

 

[brightspark]

get a heat pump one 500 sovs i dont think so

 

[E T]

I bought a condenser dryer when I moved in here. Used it for one winter, & got rid of it then. They eat electric.

Yes they do. I just bought a new one a couple of weeks ago because the old one was a bit knackered. I only use it in winter because I hate the humidity from drying the washing inside. Next time I use it I will put a clamp meter on it to see what it takes.
But I'd rather pay the electric bill than have all that moisture in the house. In spring and summer the washing is drying outside.

 

[MattF]

Yes they do. I just bought a new one a couple of weeks ago because the old one was a bit knackered. I only use it in winter because I hate the humidity from drying the washing inside. Next time I use it I will put a clamp meter on it to see what it takes.
But I'd rather pay the electric bill than have all that moisture in the house. In spring and summer the washing is drying outside.

I changed over to a ceiling rack & dehumidifier, for drying. I'm fortunate in that my living room ceiling is around 12' high though. Would be an inconvenient method with a lower/standard height ceiling.

 

[Hitch]

get a heat pump one 500 sovs i dont think so

I'd not go back to anything else.

 

[atomant48]

We use 20-24 units a day (5 of us) so it doesn’t look bad to me!! We have a heat pump dryer. Booody useless things.

 

[Gragson]

Ours blew up a long while ago when one of the mrs very thick friends was staying with us and rammed a soaking great big quilt in it - the same thick friend that went round the M25 one and half times cos she coulnd not work out how to get off! - No joke.

We have not had one since, serious suggestion, even if you have a small garden, a rotary wash line and indoor clothes horse when needed serves us, and saves a packet. I understand people with no garden etc it's not an option. I don't understand why dishwashers either...

 

[Munkul]

I see tumble driers as an absolute essential luxury. If it costs me a tenner a week to run it, then i look at it as a bargain. I've wasted far more money on far less useful things.

 

[dobbslc]

Brad are you heating the house with electric?

 

[brightspark]

Ours blew up a long while ago when one of the mrs very thick friends was staying with us and rammed a soaking great big quilt in it - the same thick friend that went round the M25 one and half times cos she coulnd not work out how to get off! - No joke.

We have not had one since, serious suggestion, even if you have a small garden, a rotary wash line and indoor clothes horse when needed serves us, and saves a packet. I understand people with no garden etc it's not an option. I don't understand why dishwashers either...

i have a dish washer needs a root u the ass now and then but shese a runner

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

Tumble dryers (any heating really, but cooking/ovens tend to regulate on/off) are one of the biggest users, it’s like a kettle being on for an hour or more at a time.

Laundry dries wonderfully on a line. Even at sub-zero temperatures (sublimation?)

 

[dobbslc]

i have a dish washer needs a root u the ass now and then but shese a runner

Have you been on the sherry already?

 

[Kram]

Edit - 900kwh in july to sept! Thats 15kwh a day quite a lot for that time of year without heating on.

Tumble driers seem to ruin my clothes even on low heat, they always shrink or otherwise degrade so stopped using well before elec got expensive.

Much better and cheaper to air dry with a heat pump style dehumidifier. The waste heat from that will atleast offset some of your houses heating needs.
On a dry windy day it will get hung outside too, does not need to be warm to dry washing.

 

[bert]

We have a heat source drier and it does eat electric. Costs about 20p per hour if the energy monitor is to be believed.

Apart from the oven and hob it's the most power hungry.

The gas heating costs us more at the moment.

 

[Erie Fred]

Maybe one of the neighbours is hooked up to us!

Shut the power off for a few hours and see who comes a calling ?

 

[gaz1]

bring back your emersion heater as they will dry in your airing cupboard instead

i used to use one room for drying the clothes within and had them on the ceiling dolly it dried them just as good just by using the radiators

i had a dryer as well but that only got used when it was for clothes for the next day