Energy Consumption of Clothes Dryers
Key facts
- The average drum capacity of dryers increased 25% from 1992 to 2016. Conversely, the average energy consumption per drum litre decreased by 25%.
- Consumers are now drying more clothes per load and each load is consuming less energy.
For more information
- To learn more about purchasing an energy-efficient clothes dryer for your home, please visit our ENERGY STAR clothes dryers page.
Average annual unit energy consumption
- The average annual unit energy consumption (UEC) of clothes dryers was 6% lower in 2016 than 1992.
- There has been a slight increase in UEC in recent years due to the use of larger capacity units.
- The increasing share of front-loading clothes washers has helped reduce energy consumption by removing more moisture from clothes before drying occurs (not reflected in UEC data).
- Moisture detectors in clothes dryers also reduce energy consumption by automatically shutting off when a load is dry.
Check out our publication Choosing and Using Appliances With EnerGuide (PDF, 934 KB) for more information.
Average annual UEC of electric clothes dryers, 1992–2016 (kWh/yr)
Text version
Average annual UEC of electric clothes dryers, 1992–2016 (kWh/yr)
Model year | kWh/yr |
---|---|
1992 | 983.3 |
1993 | 928.5 |
1994 | 910.4 |
1995 | 909.1 |
1996 | 887.4 |
1997 | 887.3 |
1998 | 900.2 |
1999 | 907.5 |
2000 | 909.8 |
2001 | 916.3 |
2002 | 915.6 |
2003 | 914.2 |
2004 | 911.9 |
2005 | 903.8 |
2006 | 904.6 |
2007 | 912.1 |
2008 | 916.0 |
2009 | 921.4 |
2010 | 928.0 |
2011 | 932.9 |
2012 | 928.5 |
2013 | 926.4 |
2014 | 924.2 |
2015 | 923.3 |
2016 | 922.9 |
Energy Consumption Fact
- In May 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the introduction of ENERGY STAR certified residential clothes dryers. These dryers use innovative energy saving technologies to save more electricity than conventional clothes dryers.
Distribution of shipments by unit energy consumption
From 1992 to 2016, the share of electric clothes dryers consuming less than 900 kWh/yr decreased while the share of those consuming over 950 kWh/yr increased, mainly due to the increased popularity of larger capacity units.
Distribution of electric clothes dryers by average annual UEC, 1992–2016 (%)
Text version
Distribution of electric clothes dryers by average annual UEC, 1992–2016 (%)
350–799.9 kWh/yr | 800–899.9 kWh/yr | 900–949.9 kWh/yr | 950–999.9 kWh/yr | 1000–1249.9 kWh/yr | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | 4.4 | 28.9 | 37.5 | 13.6 | 15.6 |
1993 | 4.1 | 28.9 | 53.6 | 0.1 | 13.2 |
1994 | 4.3 | 24.0 | 54.6 | 0.0 | 17.1 |
1995 | 3.2 | 16.2 | 68.5 | 0.8 | 11.3 |
1996 | 4.2 | 11.8 | 82.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 |
1997 | 4.9 | 12.9 | 80.7 | 1.4 | 0.0 |
1998 | 3.2 | 8.8 | 87.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
1999 | 2.7 | 7.2 | 88.3 | 1.8 | 0.0 |
2000 | 2.7 | 7.7 | 84.6 | 5.0 | 0.0 |
2001 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 87.1 | 6.3 | 0.0 |
2002 | 2.5 | 5.2 | 85.5 | 6.7 | 0.0 |
2003 | 2.7 | 10.0 | 77.0 | 10.3 | 0.0 |
2004 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 75.3 | 16.3 | 0.0 |
2005 | 6.1 | 3.2 | 74.1 | 16.6 | 0.0 |
2006 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 69.8 | 21.2 | 0.0 |
2007 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 67.8 | 24.4 | 0.0 |
2008 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 60.7 | 32.5 | 0.0 |
2009 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 56.1 | 38.1 | 0.0 |
2010 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 53.4 | 41.9 | 0.0 |
2011 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 45.5 | 49.1 | 0.0 |
2012 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 42.0 | 51.6 | 0.0 |
2013 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 43.4 | 49.0 | 0.0 |
2014 | 2.4 | 9.8 | 48.1 | 39.7 | 0.0 |
2015 | 2.3 | 11.6 | 50.9 | 35.2 | 0.0 |
2016 | 2.7 | 6.9 | 58.2 | 32.3 | 0.0 |
Drum capacity
The increase in shipments of more energy-consuming clothes dryers is mainly due to the popularity of larger capacity units. The average drum capacity of dryers increased by 25% from 1992 to 2016. Conversely, the average energy consumption per drum litre has decreased at an equal rate during the same period. This indicates that consumers are now drying more clothes per load and that each load is consuming less energy.
Drum capacity of electric clothes dryers, 1992–2016 (litres)
Text version
Drum capacity of electric clothes dryers, 1992–2016 (litres)
Model year | Average electric clothes dryer drum capacity |
---|---|
1992 | 161.59 |
1993 | 162.75 |
1994 | 171.17 |
1995 | 174.61 |
1996 | 172.68 |
1997 | 174.75 |
1998 | 174.05 |
1999 | 171.75 |
2000 | 174.68 |
2001 | 175.27 |
2002 | 176.30 |
2003 | 177.10 |
2004 | 176.85 |
2005 | 175.44 |
2006 | 179.72 |
2007 | 181.39 |
2008 | 182.76 |
2009 | 188.34 |
2010 | 194.80 |
2011 | 195.30 |
2012 | 195.70 |
2013 | 196.80 |
2014 | 200.50 |
2015 | 201.26 |
2016 | 202.10 |
Average energy consumption of electric clothes dryers, 1992–2016 (kWh/litre)
Text version
Average energy consumption of electric clothes dryers, 1992–2016 (kWh/litre)
Model year | Average energy consumption |
---|---|
1992 | 6.08 |
1993 | 5.70 |
1994 | 5.32 |
1995 | 5.21 |
1996 | 5.14 |
1997 | 5.08 |
1998 | 5.17 |
1999 | 5.28 |
2000 | 5.21 |
2001 | 5.23 |
2002 | 5.19 |
2003 | 5.16 |
2004 | 5.16 |
2005 | 5.15 |
2006 | 5.03 |
2007 | 5.03 |
2008 | 5.01 |
2009 | 4.89 |
2010 | 4.78 |
2011 | 4.78 |
2012 | 4.74 |
2013 | 4.71 |
2014 | 4.61 |
2015 | 4.59 |
2016 | 4.57 |