★ EVERYDAY · LAUNDRY · COMPARISONS
The gas dryer saves $63.37 a year at the defaults: $165.75 for electric against $102.38 for gas. Enter your loads, cycle length, electricity price, gas price, and dryer power to see which dryer is cheaper in your home.
An electric dryer turns electricity into heat; a gas dryer burns gas for heat and uses only a little electricity to tumble the drum and run the controls. This calculator prices both fuels at your rates, so the comparison follows your utility bills rather than a national average.
At the defaults, the electric dryer uses 3.75 kWh per load: 5.0 kW for 0.75 hours. Over 260 loads that is 975 kWh, and at $0.17 per kWh the electricity costs $165.75 a year, or $0.64 per load. The gas dryer burns 0.22 therms per load, which is 57.2 therms a year at $1.50 per therm, or $85.80; it also draws 0.5 kW for the drum and controls, which is 0.375 kWh per load, 97.5 kWh a year, and $16.58 at the same electricity price. Add those two and the gas dryer costs $102.38 a year, or $0.39 per load. The gap is $63.37 a year, or about $0.24 per load, in gas's favour. The gap is not fixed: it widens fast when electricity gets dearer, reaching $177.45 a year at $0.30 per kWh, and it narrows when gas gets dearer, falling to $34.77 a year at $2.00 per therm. Households that dry a lot gain the most from gas, reaching $101.40 a year at 8 loads a week, while light users save only $38.02 at 3 loads a week.
This is a fuel-cost comparison, not a whole-ownership comparison. It does not include the purchase price of either dryer, the cost of running a gas line and venting a gas dryer where none exists, or maintenance. Those one-off costs matter: if your laundry room has no gas connection, installing one can cost far more than $63.37 a year of fuel saving, and an electric dryer needs only a suitable outlet. Gas dryers also need venting to the outside and a gas safety check if you smell gas. Use this calculator for the running-cost half of the decision, then weigh the installation half separately.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Loads per year | Loads per week × 52 | 5 × 52 = 260 loads at the defaults. |
| Electric energy per load | 5.0 kW × 45 min ÷ 60 | 3.75 kWh per load at the defaults. |
| Electric cost per year | 3.75 kWh × 260 loads × $0.17 | 975 kWh × $0.17 = $165.75 a year. |
| Gas cost per year | 0.22 therms × 260 loads × $1.50 | 57.2 therms × $1.50 = $85.80 a year. |
| Gas electricity per year | 0.5 kW × 0.75 h × 260 loads × $0.17 | 97.5 kWh × $0.17 = $16.58 a year. |
| Gas total | $85.80 + $16.58 | $102.38 a year at the defaults. |
| Yearly saving | Electric total − gas total | $165.75 − $102.38 = $63.37 a year for gas. |
| Cost per load | Yearly total ÷ 260 loads | $0.64 electric vs $0.39 gas per load. |
This is a fuel model, not a meter reading. It assumes each dryer draws its stated power for the full cycle, which overstates energy for machines that cycle their heater on and off, and it assumes the same cycle length for both dryers, while real gas and electric models can dry at different speeds. Gas use per load also varies with load size, fabric, and venting. The defaults are typical full-size values, not a promise for any particular model: check the rating plate and your bills, and treat the result as the yearly fuel gap at your rates, before purchase and installation costs.
Bright Side Kit. "Gas vs Electric Dryer: Yearly Drying Cost Calculator." https://brightoolbox.com/gas-vs-electric-dryer/ Accessed October 24, 2026.At the defaults, yes: $102.38 a year for gas against $165.75 for electric, a saving of $63.37. The gap depends on your rates — it grows to $177.45 at $0.30 per kWh and shrinks to $34.77 at $2.00 per therm.
$165.75 at the defaults: 5.0 kW for 45 minutes is 3.75 kWh per load, 975 kWh over 260 loads, at $0.17 per kWh. That is $0.64 per load.
$102.38 at the defaults: $85.80 for gas (57.2 therms at $1.50 per therm) plus $16.58 for the electricity that runs the drum and controls. That is $0.39 per load.
$63.37 a year at the defaults. At 3 loads a week the saving is $38.02; at 8 loads a week it is $101.40; with a 60-minute cycle it is $113.10.
Yes, a little: the drum motor, fan, and controls run on electricity. The default here is 0.5 kW, which costs $16.58 a year. Gas supplies the heat; electricity does the turning.
A gas supply line and venting to the outside. If your laundry room has no gas connection, installing one can cost far more than one year of fuel saving, so weigh installation against the yearly figure.
Not always. This calculator assumes the same cycle length for both so the fuel comparison is fair. If one of your models dries faster, enter its real cycle length and compare again.
It depends on your grid and gas source, and this calculator does not answer that question: it compares fuel cost only. A home on clean grid electricity may favour electric on emissions even where gas is cheaper to run.