The Rented Nest

Drying & heating running-cost calculator (UK)

Last reviewed 15 October 2026 · Default rate: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 · Estimates only.

The short answer: on Which?'s figures, a heated airer costs roughly 6–8p an hour, so a typical load comes to around 35–40p at today's rate. A vented or condenser tumble dryer uses about 3.4kWh a load (around 89p), and a heat-pump tumble dryer about 1.3kWh (around 34p). So a heated airer is usually much cheaper than an ordinary tumble dryer, but costs about the same as a heat-pump dryer. Use the calculator below to plug in your own appliance, tariff and habits.

26.32p is Ofgem's average electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (Direct Debit). Your tariff may differ – check a recent bill.

Per use–
Per week–
Per month–
Per winter–

Compare at the same uses per week and unit rate

ApplianceEnergy per usePer usePer winter

Per month = per week × 52 ÷ 12. Per winter = October to March, 26 weeks. Standing charges are not included.

Heated airer or tumble dryer – which is cheaper?

Rows of electricity meters mounted on a wall

Using the calculator's own figures at 26.32p per kWh, for one load:

  • Winged heated airer (about 240W for 6 hours): 1.44kWh – around 38p.
  • Tower heated airer (about 320W for 4¾ hours): 1.52kWh – around 40p.
  • Drying pod (about 1,040W for 2¼ hours): 2.34kWh – around 62p.
  • Vented or condenser tumble dryer: about 3.4kWh – around 89p.
  • Heat-pump tumble dryer: about 1.3kWh – around 34p.

So at three loads a week, a heated airer comes to roughly £5 a month, against nearer £11–12 for an ordinary tumble dryer. Which?'s own testing points the same way: it found heated airers average about 39p per cotton load. It also found a heat-pump tumble dryer costs about £41 a year for three large loads a week, while drying big loads on a heated airer (which often needs more than one run) costs about £117 a year – about the same as a vented or condenser dryer.

A few things the numbers don't show:

  • Load size. Airers hold less than a drum, so a big wash may need two runs.
  • Moisture. Airers (and drying pods) put the water from your clothes into the air, which can mean condensation in a small flat. A vented dryer needs a hose to the outside, which many rentals don't have. See how to dry clothes in a flat without a balcony.
  • Dehumidifiers. Running one next to an unheated airer helps clothes dry and keeps humidity down at the same time – compare models in our dehumidifiers for rented flats guide.
  • Electric blankets and heated throws aren't in the calculator, because we couldn't find reliable wattage figures. Which? puts electric blankets at about 2–6p an hour and heated throws at about 2–3p an hour.

More on choosing one: heated clothes airers for UK flats and how to stay warm in a cold rented flat.

How the calculator works

Clothes and towels drying on a folding rack against a rough wall
  • Cost per use = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. For tumble dryers it's kWh per load × unit rate.
  • The presets are estimates. Where a source gave a running cost rather than a wattage, we worked back to watts using the unit rate the source used, and say so in the note under each preset. Your own appliance's label or manual is always better – type its figure in.
  • Thermostats and humidistats switch heaters and dehumidifiers off and on, so they often use less than their rated power.
  • Not included: the daily standing charge (54.83p a day for electricity under the October–December 2026 cap), which you pay whatever you use.
  • Nothing is stored. The calculator runs in your browser and doesn't save or send what you type.

We'll update the default rate when Ofgem announces the cap for January to March 2027.

Sources