Shopping for a new dryer and deciding between gas vs electric? As a site focused on natural gas, we of course have an opinion on this. While gas dryers cost less to operate, they are more expensive up front.
To compare and decide between a gas vs. electric dryer, you need to understand how they work and how to compare costs across two different energy sources.
The bottom line: Gas dryers are around 1/3 the operating cost of an electric dryer. But gas dryers are also 15-20% more expensive. The break even on the higher expense takes around 8 months of operating costs.
How Clothes Dryers Work
Clothes dryers all include a motor that flips a large drum containing your wet clothes. As this occurs, a fan forces heated air into the drum to dry the clothes inside.
After a period of time, the air goes out through a vent and takes some of your clothes’ moisture with it. Removal of moisture is what dries your clothes.
Comparing Gas vs. Electric Dryers
Gas Dryers
Gas dryers use a flame to generate heat. Energy consumption is based on therms or BTUs of natural gas. Any gas dryer you’re considering will have an energy consumption label listing its BTUs.
To set up a gas dryer in your home, you’ll need both a standard electrical outlet (to power the motor, lights and settings) and a gas hookup connection. Hire a plumber to set up your natural gas connection if you don’t have one in place already.
Gas dryers heat up faster to dry your clothes in less time, which reduces how much energy they require overall. They sometimes take half as long to dry your clothes as an electric model.
Other pluses include less static electricity. Plus heat exits a gas dryer more quickly so clothes don’t have a chance to wrinkle as much. (Assuming you take them out right away.)
Electric Dryers
Electric dryers are equipped with a heating coil which generates heat when electricity passes through it. The heat is transferred to the air in your dryer, evaporating moisture and drying the clothes.
Electric dryers require a 240-volt outlet — higher than what most households have. If your laundry room doesn’t offer this level of power, you may need a new outlet installed.
Electric dryers take longer to heat and, therefore, need more time to dry a load of clothes. This pattern can add up, and you’ll see it on your electric bill.
New models of electric dryers are high efficiency, and some recycle heated air within the dryer to keep energy costs down.
Energy Differences and Calculation
No matter which model you select, there’s one fact you can’t ignore: Clothes dryers and washing machines come right after refrigerators for household energy consumption, accounting for 5% of your energy usage.
But it’s difficult to compare energy consumption directly between natural gas dryers vs. electric dryers. After all, one is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) and the other is measured in BTU (or therms).
To compare the energy consumption of gas versus electric dryers, it’s easiest to look at the total cost.
- The average gas dryer uses 20,000 to 25,000 BTU per hour. To convert BTU to therms, divide by 100,000. In this example, the dryer uses .2 to .25 therms per hour. Multiply that by your rate per therm to see your cost per load.*
- Electric dryers use five to seven kilowatt-hours on average for a full load. To calculate the dollar cost of a load, just multiply this kWh usage by your electricity rate per kWh. For an exact calculation for your model, use our energy usage calculator.
*Note: Some gas utilities charge by MCF or CCF, which are volumetric measurements of gas, rather than therms, which is a measure of energy produced. You can learn how to convert units of gas from MCF or CCF to therms or BTU in our article on that topic.
Once you perform the cost calculation, you’ll see that a gas dryer typically costs less to operate. In fact, most people find that operating a gas dryer is 1/3 the cost of operating an electric dryer.
You’ll need to weigh that against the higher upfront cost of a gas dryer. Gas dryers are typically 15-20% more expensive than their electric counterpart. It would around 8 months of consistent use for your operating savings to make up for this additional cost.
All natural gas appliances come with risks if not installed and operated correctly. The biggest risk is inefficient burning which can create carbon monoxide. Install a CO detector in your home to monitor any issues.
Rebates to Purchase a New Dryer
Many utility companies offer rebates for buying energy efficient appliances. You can contact your local gas or power utility to find out about rebate programs.
For example, Atlanta Gas Light, the utility for most of Georgia, gives a $200 rebate for converting from an electric to a gas dryer.
Other rebates from the utility or from your state are available for electric dryers with the Energy Star label.
And, you can get a federal tax credit of up to $840 if you buy a heat pump dryer. And that essentially means your new dryer could be free. While not as well known as traditional electric dryers, these units use 28% less energy.
Dryer Maintenance
Whether you have a gas or electric dryer, maintenance is important to both efficiency and safety.
The primary maintenance? Cleaning lint from your dryer exhaust duct. It’s easy to clean the lint filter between loads. But lint can also enter your dryer vent hose. If it builds up, it can create a combustion hazard.
Whether you have an electric or gas dryer, unplug it before pulling it away from the wall. If you have a gas dryer, turn off the gas using the nozzle on your connection.
Once that safety step is complete, disconnect the dryer hose from the unit. Vacuum loose lint from the connection, then use a dryer vent cleaning tool to use clean the inside of the hose.
