Is a gas dryer cheaper to run?

Answer

With the example inputs the gas dryer costs $0.31 per load against $0.75 for the electric one, a difference of $114.66 a year over 260 loads. A gas dryer uses therms or GJ for heat plus a little electricity; an electric dryer uses kWh for everything. Your own prices decide which is cheaper.

Worked example

Electric: 5,000 W × 1 hour = 5 kWh × $0.15 = $0.75 per load. Gas: 22,000 Btu = 0.22 therm × $1.20 = $0.26, plus 0.30 kWh of motor electricity = $0.04, total $0.31 per load. Over 5 loads a week (260 a year): electric $195.00, gas $80.34, so gas saves $114.66 a year. A $150 price premium for the gas model is recovered in 1.3 years.

Formulas and notes

• Electric per load = watts × hours × heating share ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh. Gas per load = Btu per hour × hours × heating share ÷ Btu per unit × gas price, plus motor kWh × price per kWh.
• 1 therm = 100,000 Btu and 1 kWh = 3,412 Btu (EIA). 1 GJ = 1,000,000,000 ÷ 3,600,000 × 3,412 = about 947,778 Btu.
• Running cost only. A gas dryer needs a gas line and venting, so the price difference field is yours to fill with a quote. Dryers of different types may take different times per load, so each has its own time field.
• The starting values are illustrations, not typical figures. Use your rating plates and your bills.

Planning estimate only, not professional advice. Sources, checked 2026-10-08: U.S. Department of Energy, Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use (archived copy, 2024-12-31) · U.S. Energy Information Administration, British thermal units (Btu)