It’s the price of a drying cycle and it’s how you save energy on your dryer

How much does a drying cycle cost?

Drying your laundry with a dryer is super tempting. It’s quick and easy, gets rid of most wrinkles, makes your towels soft, and doesn’t result in a crowded room with laundry hanging out to dry. But… in order to be able to dry, you also need a lot of energy and heat, which leads to the necessary costs. On the Nibud (National Institute of Budgetary Information) we can read that a drying cycle costs around €1.95.

Tip 1: hang the laundry

The most important – and obvious – advice is of course to hang your laundry. In good weather, it even dries almost as fast as if you put it in the dryer. But you can also hang your laundry at home on a drying rack or clothesline. It takes a few more hours, but it’s just as cheap (read: free!).

Tip 2: Energy-efficient dryer

Use an energy-efficient dryer (A++). They are slightly more expensive to buy, but they save you a lot of money in the end. Indeed, the operating costs of the dryer are much lower.

Tip 3: complete dryer

Make sure your dryer is fully stocked rather than half full. Keep your laundry damp and dry all at once in a single dryer. THE Consumer Association writes that drying twice with a half-full drum costs 30-45 cents more than a full drum.

Tip 4: Remove laundry immediately

When the dryer is ready, immediately remove the laundry from the drum. The dryer automatically switches to anti-crease or standby mode after drying. If you remove the laundry immediately and close the dryer, you avoid unnecessary energy consumption here. Also clean the fluff filter and the door immediately after each drying cycle. When the filters are full, the dryer uses more energy to dry your laundry.

Tip 5: Add a dry towel

Well, sure, it’s cheaper not to use the dryer at all, but sometimes you might want to make an exception. And if so, it is of course nice that it is ready as soon as possible. A simple trick to make your dryer run faster is to add a dry towel to it. You can read how it works here!

Tip 6: Better understand your energy consumption

It is quite difficult to estimate what you consume in terms of energy. You can use smart meters to get an overview. There are also apps that give you a clear overview of your consumption compared to a month or a year ago. In addition to these smart ways, you can also contact your energy supplier. They make overviews of your energy consumption.

When you know what you’re using, you also know where you can make behavioral adjustments to save energy.