After the refrigerator, the clothes dryer is typically the second biggest electricity-using appliance, costing about $85 to operate annually. A typical clothes dryer will cost $1,100 to operate over its lifetime.*

Gas dryers dry clothes more efficiently, and they are less expensive to operate than electric dryers. The cost of drying a typical load of laundry in an electric dryer is 30 to 40 cents compared to 15 to 20 cents in a gas dryer.*

*Source: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN), U.S. Department of Energy.

Energy Saving Tips

• Here are some tips to further increase the energy savings provided by a propane gas clothes dryer:
• Keep your dryer in a heated space. Putting it in a cold or damp basement will make the dryer work harder and less efficiently.
• Make sure your dryer is vented properly. If you vent the exhaust outside, use the straightest and shortest metal duct available. Do not use a flexible vinyl duct because it restricts the air flow, can be crushed, and may not withstand high temperatures from the dryer.
• Check the outside dryer exhaust vent periodically. If it doesn't close tightly, replace it with one that does to keep the outside air from leaking in. This will reduce heating and cooling bills.
• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation. Regularly clean the lint from vent hoods.
• Dry only full loads, as small loads are less economical; but do not overload the dryer.
• When drying, separate your clothes and dry similar types of clothes together. Lightweight synthetics, for example, dry much more quickly than bath towels and natural fiber fabrics.
• Dry two or more loads in a row, taking advantage of the dryer's retained heat.
• Use the cool-down cycle (perma-press cycle) to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.