Hearth & Lawn

The best heat pump tumble dryers for UK homes

Last updated: · By the Hearth & Lawn team

How we chose these: We haven't tested these tumble dryers ourselves. Our picks are based on the official energy-label figures, John Lewis listings, independent tests and buying advice (mainly Which? and Trusted Reviews) and patterns in owner reviews. Where sources disagree, we say so. Prices were checked on 18 October 2026.

If you use a tumble dryer more than once or twice a week, a heat pump dryer is almost always the cheapest one to own. It recycles warm air instead of venting it, so it uses well under half the electricity of a condenser or vented dryer. It costs more to buy, but at the current price cap the difference pays back in months to a few years, depending on the model.

On the energy-label figures, a typical heat pump dryer costs about 39p per load at 26.32p/kWh. A B-rated condenser dryer costs about £1.10. That's roughly £115 a year less at three loads a week.

Only dry a load or two a month? A cheaper condenser dryer, a heated airer or a dehumidifier may make more sense. We compare them all in the cheapest way to dry clothes indoors.

Quick picks

Pick Best for Drum Energy label Label energy use Price checked 18 Oct 2026
Bosch Series 4 WTH85225GB Best overall 8kg A++ 235kWh/year £529 at John Lewis
Hoover HRE H9N2TBE-80 Best value heat pump 9kg A++ 236kWh/year £349 at John Lewis
Samsung DV80CGC0B0AE Best smart dryer 8kg A++ 235kWh/year £579 at John Lewis
Miele TWD640WP Lowest running costs and best build 9kg A+++ 194kWh/year £1,149 at John Lewis

Heat pump vs condenser vs vented

  • Heat pump dryers heat the air with a small heat pump, a bit like a fridge working in reverse, and reuse it. Which? says they typically use less than half the energy of a vented or condenser dryer. They run at lower temperatures, so cycles are longer. The Bosch below lists a maximum drying time of 180 minutes. No vent hose is needed. The water goes into a tank or down a drain hose.
  • Condenser dryers heat the air with an electric element, then cool it to collect the water in a tank. They're cheap to buy and can go anywhere, but cost the most to run.
  • Vented dryers blow hot, damp air outside through a hose or wall vent. They're simple and cheap, but running costs are similar to a condenser dryer, and they need to be near an outside wall or window.

Which?'s 2026 buying advice puts the average heat pump dryer on its site at about £54 a year to run, against about £139 for condenser and £140 for vented models. It also says you usually need to spend around £400 for a good heat pump dryer, though it has found some cheaper Best Buys.

What a tumble dryer costs to run

Reading the energy label

The kWh-per-year figure on a tumble dryer's energy label is based on 160 drying cycles of the standard cotton programme, a mix of full and half loads. Dividing by 160 gives a rough cost per load. Full loads use more than this average. BBC figures put a full heat pump load at about 1.8–2.1kWh.

At the Ofgem price cap of 26.32p per kWh (average direct debit electricity, 1 October to 31 December 2026):

Dryer Label energy use Per load (÷ 160) Cost per load Cost per year (160 loads)
Miele TWD640WP (heat pump, A+++) 194kWh 1.21kWh 1.2125 × 26.32 = 31.9p 194 × 26.32p = £51.06
Bosch Series 4 WTH85225GB (heat pump, A++) 235kWh 1.47kWh 1.469 × 26.32 = 38.7p £61.85
Samsung DV80CGC0B0AE (heat pump, A++) 235kWh 1.47kWh 38.7p £61.85
Hoover HRE H9N2TBE-80 (heat pump, A++) 236kWh 1.48kWh 1.475 × 26.32 = 38.8p £62.12
Hoover HRE C10TE (condenser, B), for comparison 671kWh 4.19kWh 4.194 × 26.32 = £1.10 £176.61

Does the extra cost pay back?

Compared with the £279 Hoover condenser dryer above, at 160 loads a year (about three a week):

  • Hoover heat pump (£349): costs £70 more and saves £176.61 − £62.12 = £114.49 a year. It pays back in about 7 months.
  • Bosch Series 4 (£529): costs £250 more and saves £114.76 a year. It pays back in about 2 years 2 months.
  • Miele TWD640WP (£1,149): costs £870 more and saves £125.55 a year. It pays back in about 7 years. You're buying the Miele for build quality and drying performance, not to save money.

If you dry fewer loads, the payback takes proportionally longer. At one load a week (52 loads a year), the Hoover heat pump saves about £37 a year and takes about 1 year 11 months to pay back.

Work out your own figures with our running-cost calculator

Tips that cut the cost further

  • Spin hard first. The drier the clothes go in, the less the dryer has to do. Use your washing machine's fastest spin that suits the fabric.
  • Use sensor drying (most models have it) so the dryer stops when the clothes are dry, not when a timer runs out.
  • Clean the lint filter after every load, and the heat pump's condenser filter as the manual says. A blocked filter makes cycles longer and is a fire risk.
  • Mixed loads? Take out quick-drying items early, or hang them on an airer.

How to choose a heat pump dryer

  • Drum size. 8kg suits most couples and small families; 9kg suits bigger households or a lot of bedding. A bigger drum isn't more efficient if you run it half empty.
  • Energy label. A++ is the norm for heat pump dryers. A+++ models use less, as the Miele shows, but usually cost much more.
  • Drain hose. If you can plumb it into a waste pipe, you never have to empty the tank. The Bosch comes with a drain kit, according to John Lewis.
  • Noise. Heat pump dryers run for longer, so a lower dB figure matters if it's near a living area. Our picks are listed at 65–67dB.
  • Space. Heat pump dryers are heavy and need air around them. Electrical Safety First advises against putting a tumble dryer in an enclosed space such as a cupboard.
  • Stacking. If you want to stack it on a washing machine, check the maker sells a stacking kit for your models.

The best heat pump tumble dryers in detail

1. Bosch Series 4 WTH85225GB: best overall

Price checked: £529 at John Lewis, in stock (18 October 2026).

Key specs (John Lewis listing):

  • Heat pump; 8kg; A++; 235kWh a year
  • Sensor drying; up to 24-hour delay start
  • 65dB; maximum drying time 180 minutes
  • Drain kit included
  • H84.2 × W59.8 × D61.3cm; 48.6kg
  • 2-year guarantee

A straightforward 8kg heat pump dryer that does the basics well. It skips app control and steam, which keeps the price down. Owner reviews on John Lewis average 4.7 out of 5.

The label shows a "B" for drying performance, meaning clothes come out slightly damper on the cupboard-dry setting than with an A-rated dryer. Most owners won't notice, but it's worth knowing if you compare it with the Miele.

Pros

  • Low running costs
  • Simple controls and sensor drying
  • Drain kit included

Cons

  • 8kg drum only
  • No app or smart features

2. Hoover HRE H9N2TBE-80: best value heat pump dryer

Price checked: £349 at John Lewis, in stock (18 October 2026).

Key specs (John Lewis listing):

  • Heat pump; 9kg; A++; 236kWh a year
  • App control via Hoover's hOn app
  • 67dB
  • 85 × 59.6 × 58.5cm
  • 2-year guarantee

This is one of the cheapest heat pump dryers from a major brand at John Lewis, and it has a larger 9kg drum than the Bosch. Its label energy use is almost identical to the Bosch's, so running costs are the same.

A note on the name: Trusted Reviews' budget pick is a different Hoover heat pump dryer, the H-Dry 350 HRE H9A3TBE-80. That model was listed at £419 on Hoover's own shop but unavailable when we checked. Trusted Reviews also warns that Hoover sells condenser dryers with very similar names. Check the listing says "heat pump" before you buy.

Owner reviews average 4 out of 5 on John Lewis, lower than the Bosch. We haven't found an independent test of this exact model, so treat it as the budget choice rather than the best one.

Pros

  • Cheapest way into a heat pump dryer
  • 9kg drum
  • App control

Cons

  • Slightly louder
  • No independent test of this exact model that we could find

3. Samsung DV80CGC0B0AE: best smart tumble dryer

Price checked: £579 at John Lewis; Which? also listed it at £579 at AO, Appliance City and Argos (18 October 2026).

Key specs (John Lewis listing):

  • Heat pump; 8kg; A++; 235kWh a year
  • Samsung SmartThings app; AI Energy mode
  • 65dB
  • H85 × W60 × D60cm
  • 2-year guarantee

If you want to start, pause and check the dryer from your phone, or link it to a Samsung washing machine, this is the one. Which? has tested it and shows a public running cost of £44.71 a year on its own test basis. Its full verdict is for members only.

Pros

  • Good app control
  • Low running costs

Cons

  • Dearer than the Bosch with the same energy use
  • 8kg drum

4. Miele TWD640WP: lowest running costs

Price checked: £1,149 at John Lewis, in stock (18 October 2026).

Key specs (John Lewis listing):

  • Heat pump; 9kg; A+++; 194kWh a year
  • A-rated drying performance
  • App control
  • 66dB
  • H85 × W59.6 × D64.3cm
  • 2-year guarantee

The Miele uses the least electricity of our picks, about 32p per average load. It's also the only one with an A rating for drying performance. Owners on John Lewis rate it 4.9 out of 5.

But be honest with yourself about the maths: it saves only about £11 a year compared with the Bosch, so you're paying for build quality and drying results, not lower bills.

Pros

  • Lowest running costs here
  • A-rated drying performance
  • Highly rated by owners

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Savings over an A++ model are small

Tumble dryer fire safety

Electrical Safety First says tumble dryers are involved in many UK house fires. Its advice, and London Fire Brigade's, includes:

  • Clean the lint filter after every load, and around the door. Clean other filters as the manual says.
  • Plug it straight into a wall socket, not an extension lead.
  • Avoid running it overnight or when you're out. Electrical Safety First recommends switching it off at the socket overnight and when you go out.
  • Let the cycle finish, including the cool-down. If you have to stop it mid-cycle, take everything out quickly and leave the door open so the heat escapes.
  • Don't tumble dry clothes contaminated with oil, grease or solvents. Wash them carefully without the dryer.
  • Don't put it in a cupboard or other enclosed space.
  • Register your dryer with the maker (London Fire Brigade points to registermyappliance.org.uk), so you can be contacted about recalls. Check the GOV.UK product recall list if buying second-hand.
  • Fit a smoke or heat alarm on every floor and test it monthly.

Stop using a dryer that smells of burning, scorches, or trips the electrics, and contact the maker or retailer.

FAQs

Is a heat pump tumble dryer worth it? Usually, if you dry three or more loads a week. On label figures, a heat pump dryer costs about 39p per load at 26.32p/kWh against about £1.10 for a B-rated condenser dryer, saving about £115 a year at 160 loads.

How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer per load? At 26.32p/kWh, roughly 32–39p for an A++ to A+++ heat pump dryer (label average), and about £1.10 or more for a condenser or vented dryer. Full loads cost more than the label average.

Why does a heat pump dryer take longer? It dries at lower temperatures, which saves energy and is gentler on clothes, but takes longer. The Bosch below, for example, lists a maximum drying time of 180 minutes.

Heat pump vs condenser dryer: which is better? A heat pump dryer costs more to buy but much less to run. A condenser dryer is cheaper upfront and fine for occasional use.

Is it cheaper to use a dehumidifier than a tumble dryer? Usually, yes, but it's slower. See the cheapest way to dry clothes indoors.

Can I put a tumble dryer in a cupboard? Electrical Safety First advises against it. Leave space around the dryer for ventilation, and plug it into a wall socket.

Sources