Help with working this out?

grahamc2003

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

Hi All, I currently run my tumble dryer for approximately 13 hours a week as there are 4 of us at home (2 adults, 2 teenagers), does anyone have any idea how much this may be costing us please. I am trying to reduce our electricity bill but not sure if it's expensive to use the tumble dryer or not?

Thank you

We have a aaa rated year old condensing tumble drier. I've measured the amount of energy used for a typical cycle, and it was much less than I expected. I've measured it several times. Mine uses between 0.8kWh (for clothes which have been partially dried on the line), and 1.6kWh for clothes straight from the washer (800 spin). Assuming 13 hours equates to 6 lots of drying, it would cost me about 10kWh at my rate of 12p/kWh, giving £1.20 (actually it's would be less than half that since it would be at economy seven cheap rates).

If you have an old or inefficient drier, I'd expect it to cost much more, probably twice the amount of energy (say 20kWh per week), costing you about £2.40 per week, if your unit rate is 12p/kWh - but just multiply your unit rate by 20 to get my estimate of what it costs you per week.

To know exactly, as someone else suggested, buy a £10 plug in energy monitor (not an Owl type), which will tell you pretty exactly how much energy (in kWh) you use in a cycle.

If you overload the drier by packing too much in, it will cost lots more.

moments_of_sanity

Here is my tariff according to my latest bill.......
First 51kwh 22.408, kwh used after that is charged at 10.74. This is with british gas dual fuel tariff.

Just bought an energy meter from Maplins but it won't allow you to put in the two price tariffs so not actually much good by all accounts!

macman

You can ignore the first tier price, since it only gets you the first 51kWh. So it's 10.74p, plus 5% VAT if not included:11.28p per kWh. So 13 hours will cost you £4.40 maximum.
All theoretical without knowing the drier rating though.

moments_of_sanity

Tumble dryer is a C rated :eek: and runs at 3.35kwh. What will that cost, sorry not very good at working this out.

Whilst we are on the subject our cooker is 1.19kwh, any ideas on the cost of that to run?

macman

Well, since I worked it out on 3kW, all you have to do is multiply by 3.35 instead of 3. Gets you 43.55kWh, which is £4.91.
You can work the cooker (or any other electrical device) out on exactly the same principle, just multiply your kWh cost by the kW rating (1kW = 1000W).
I rather doubt that a cooker only draws 1.2kW with everything on! That's the same as a 1 bar electric fire.

Wywth

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

Tumble dryer is a C rated :eek: and runs at 3.35kwh. ...

Are you sure? That sounds like a small, industrial sized drier, but the inclusion of an energy rating would suggest otherwise.

It would need to be hard wired into it's own specific circuit if it really is that big (not just plugged in like most domestic driers are)

good_advice

Hiya, I read this post with interest.
At least 3 king size beds? Wow. You must have big bedrooms. We had one, it lasted less than a year before we resold it as was to big for room.

Our families are similar in size. I wash at least once a day and some time 3 times in one day. Lots of washing. Bedding, work clothes, home clothes, going out clothes and gym clothes.

My tumble dryer is C rated and costs 36p an hour to run. I have a energenie power meter to tell me so.
Must say I have to be swamped with wet washing in bad weather before I even consider putting it on.

Good on you for trying to reduce the electric bill, it will take time and dedication.

moments_of_sanity

good_advice wrote: »

Hiya, I read this post with interest.
At least 3 king size beds? Wow. You must have big bedrooms. We had one, it lasted less than a year before we resold it as was to big for room.

Our families are similar in size. I wash at least once a day and some time 3 times in one day. Lots of washing. Bedding, work clothes, home clothes, going out clothes and gym clothes.

My tumble dryer is C rated and costs 36p an hour to run. I have a energenie power meter to tell me so.
Must say I have to be swamped with wet washing in bad weather before I even consider putting it on.

Good on you for trying to reduce the electric bill, it will take time and dedication.

Just a standard sized 4 bed semi, nothing palatial believe me!

Thanks for the info on the cost of your tumble dryer, I am certainly trying to reduce our consumption of electricity as we pay approximately £80 per month in electric.