When we think about the electricity bill, we blame the fridge that runs day and night, or the washing machine that turns several times a week. But in many American homes, the appliance that weighs most on the bill sits right next to them, and we rarely think about it.
Where the idea comes from
A comparison of household appliances went viral in Europe this week. Based on usage estimates for a family of four, it crowned the electric stove as the most power-hungry appliance in the kitchen, far ahead of the fridge. That’s a European calculation, with European cooking habits. In the United States, the numbers point somewhere else.
The answer: the clothes dryer
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a typical electric clothes dryer can consume as much energy as a new energy-efficient refrigerator, clothes washer and dishwasher combined. The NRDC estimates that Americans spend about $9 billion a year on electricity to run their dryers, and that up to $4 billion of it could be saved with more efficient machines.
How is that possible? A fridge uses little power, but all the time. A dryer works the opposite way: it heats air to high temperatures for close to an hour per load, several times a week. That’s a lot of electricity packed into a short time.
Heating and cooling still come first in American homes, along with water heating: according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, air conditioning, space heating and water heating are the three largest uses of home electricity. But among the appliances you plug in yourself, the dryer is the one to watch.
How to cut its consumption
- Clean the lint filter after every load. ENERGY STAR says it improves air circulation and efficiency, and it’s also a fire-safety measure. If you use dryer sheets, scrub the filter once a month, because their residue blocks airflow.
- Use the moisture sensor instead of a timed cycle: the dryer stops when the clothes are dry, not after an arbitrary hour.
- Dry loads back to back to use the heat already in the drum, and don’t overload it.
- Spin faster in the washer. The less water left in the clothes, the less work for the dryer.
- Air-dry when you can, even indoors: here’s the Japanese trick that dries laundry faster.
The limit
These figures are averages. A gas dryer, a compact model or a household that air-dries most of its laundry will see very different numbers, and a family with three kids will see bigger ones. If your dryer is old, the most effective fix is the replacement: ENERGY STAR says heat pump dryers use around 70% less energy than conventional dryers, and they don’t need an outside vent.
The kitchen has its own surprises, as we found when comparing the air fryer and the oven. And lighting is changing too, with the new tech replacing LED bulbs.
Not the fridge, not the washer: the dryer. That’s where the savings are.
