How is the running cost calculated?

Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate gives cost per hour: $0.80 at 2,400 W on the NSW rate; the yearly figure uses 3 loads a week at 3.5 kWh per load.

How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer (vented)? (2026–27)

At typical draw · official state tariffs

$0.66–$1.01 per hour at 2,400 W

Typical household use (3 loads a week at 3.5 kWh per load) runs $150–$229 a year depending on your state's tariff.

Wattage basis: A plug-in vented dryer is capped near 2,400 W by a standard 10 A power point. Energy per auto-sensed household load ~3.5 kWh (registered-model comparative-load averages run higher at ~6 kWh).

Vented dryer running cost by state and model, at 4 h a day for 365 days a year (2026–27 reference usage rates)
State	Model	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
New South Wales33.1c/kWh · Ausgrid	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.66	$2.65	$80.59	$968
	Typical (2,400 W)	$0.80	$3.18	$96.71	$1,161
	High (3,000 W)	$0.99	$3.98	$120.88	$1,451
Victoria27.5c/kWh · Jemena	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.55	$2.20	$66.81	$802
	Typical (2,400 W)	$0.66	$2.64	$80.17	$963
	High (3,000 W)	$0.82	$3.30	$100.21	$1,203
Queensland28.0c/kWh · Energex	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.56	$2.24	$68.03	$817
	Typical (2,400 W)	$0.67	$2.69	$81.64	$980
	High (3,000 W)	$0.84	$3.36	$102.05	$1,225
South Australia41.9c/kWh · SA Power Networks	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.84	$3.35	$101.93	$1,224
	Typical (2,400 W)	$1.01	$4.02	$122.31	$1,469
	High (3,000 W)	$1.26	$5.03	$152.89	$1,836
Western Australia33.3c/kWh · Western Power (SWIS)	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.67	$2.66	$80.89	$971
	Typical (2,400 W)	$0.80	$3.19	$97.07	$1,166
	High (3,000 W)	$1.00	$3.99	$121.34	$1,457
Tasmania28.0c/kWh · TasNetworks	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.56	$2.24	$67.98	$816
	Typical (2,400 W)	$0.67	$2.68	$81.58	$980
	High (3,000 W)	$0.84	$3.35	$101.98	$1,224
Australian Capital Territory37.0c/kWh · Evoenergy	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.74	$2.96	$89.87	$1,079
	Typical (2,400 W)	$0.89	$3.55	$107.85	$1,295
	High (3,000 W)	$1.11	$4.43	$134.81	$1,619
Northern Territory31.7c/kWh · Power and Water	Efficient (2,000 W)	$0.63	$2.53	$77.04	$925
	Typical (2,400 W)	$0.76	$3.04	$92.45	$1,110
	High (3,000 W)	$0.95	$3.80	$115.56	$1,388

This table costs a constant draw at 4 h a day. The typical-use yearly figures below use the appliance's measured energy per use (3.5 kWh per cycle) instead.

Where a vented dryer costs more

South Australia is the dearest state to run one: $1.01 an hour at 2,400 W on its 41.9c/kWh rate, against $0.66 in Victoria. Over a year of typical use that gap is $79 (52.6% more).
By yearly running cost at typical use it ranks 9th of the 26 appliances costed on this site (1st costs the most): $181 a year at the NSW rate.
A heat-pump dryer does the same job on 312 kWh a year at typical use, 234 kWh less than this one: that is $98 a year less in SA and $64 less in VIC.
At the 1 July 2026 price reset, typical-use cost fell $12 in VIC (Jemena usage rate 29.7c to 27.5c/kWh) and rose $5 in WA (Western Power (SWIS) usage rate 32.4c to 33.3c/kWh).

Typical household use per year, cheapest state first (3 loads a week at 3.5 kWh per load)
Rank	State	Usage rate	Typical year	Above the cheapest
1	Victoria	27.5c	$150	—
2	Tasmania	28.0c	$153	+$3
3	Queensland	28.0c	$153	+$3
4	Northern Territory	31.7c	$173	+$23
5	New South Wales	33.1c	$181	+$31
6	Western Australia	33.3c	$182	+$32
7	Australian Capital Territory	37.0c	$202	+$52
8	South Australia	41.9c	$229	+$79

Rates by state (each state's capital-city network): NSW: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); VIC: ESC Victorian Default Offer 2026–27; QLD: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); SA: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); WA: WA Government Standard Electricity Prices 2026–27 (Synergy Home Plan A1); TAS: OTTER-approved Aurora Energy Standing Offer 2026–27 (approved 25 June 2026) — Tariff 31; ACT: ICRC retail electricity price recalibration 2026–27 (ActewAGL standing offer); NT: NT Electricity Pricing Order 2026–27 (Jacana Energy standard residential). All effective 1 July 2026.

Appliance running-cost calculator

NSW

State

Power draw (watts)

Vented dryer: 2,000–3,000 W typical range.

Hours per day

Days per year

A load runs 45–90 minutes; 2–4 loads a week is typical.

$0.80 per hour · $1,161/year at your settings

Per day (4 h): $3.18
Per month: $96.71
Per year (365 days): $1,161.13

Tariff: 33.1c/kWh — AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8) for the Ausgrid network, effective 1 July 2026. Wattage basis: EcoFlow AU — dryer power consumption (cross-checked Canstar Blue). Full vented dryer costs in NSW →

Cutting the cost

The sun is free, so line-dry whenever the weather allows and keep the dryer as a backup. When you do run it, spin the load hard in the washer first so there's less water to remove, dry similar fabrics together, and clean the lint filter every time, because a blocked filter makes it run longer. Don't overload it; clothes tumble and dry faster with room to move.

Frequently asked questions

How is the running cost calculated?: Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate = cost per hour. A vented dryer drawing 2,400 W on NSW's 33.1c/kWh rate costs $0.80 an hour; the calculator below lets you change every input. For this appliance the yearly figure uses its measured energy per use rather than a constant draw.
Does a higher star rating cut the cost?: Yes. The star rating compresses the power draw or energy per use, which scales these figures directly. The low–high band in the table (2,000–3,000 W) roughly spans efficient to inefficient models.

Sources — figures current as at 17 July 2026.

Costs use each state's representative-zone reference usage rate, effective 1 July 2026. A load runs 45–90 minutes; 2–4 loads a week is typical.

How much does it cost to run a clothes dryer (vented)? (2026–27)

Where a vented dryer costs more

Appliance running-cost calculator

Cutting the cost

Frequently asked questions

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