Citing Natural Resources Canada, Pollution Probe’s Richard Carlson says an average household uses about 900 kilowatt hours of energy annually to dry clothes. “If you are drying during peak hours, that’s about $153,” Carlson says. “During off-peak hours, that’s about $75.”
These numbers apply to Ontario and vary province to province. But compared to other appliances, dryers have not seen any major efficiency improvements in the past couple of decades. “Washers, electric ranges, fridges, dishwashers have all made impressive energy efficiency gains,” he notes. “Dryers have not.”