Hearth & Lawn

The cheapest way to dry clothes indoors

Last updated: · By the Hearth & Lawn team

How we worked this out: We haven't run our own drying tests. The costs below are calculations: each appliance's rated power (from the maker or retailer) multiplied by an assumed drying time and the Ofgem price cap. Tumble-dryer energy use per cycle comes from published typical ranges. Your own times will vary with the load, the fabric and the room, so we show every sum so you can redo it with your own figures.

From October to March, most of the UK can't rely on the washing line. The choice is between an ordinary airer, the radiators, a heated airer, a dehumidifier, a tumble dryer, or a combination.

The short answer: an ordinary airer in a room with a dehumidifier is usually the cheapest way to dry washing indoors without causing damp, at roughly 30–35p a load. A heat-pump tumble dryer costs about the same and is quicker, but costs far more to buy. A vented or condenser tumble dryer is the most expensive, at about £1.18–£1.39 a load.

Cost per load at a glance

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

Method Power or energy Assumed time Energy Cost per load
Ordinary airer, room already heated none extra 1–2 days 0 0p extra, but see the damp warning
Airer + dehumidifier (Ebac 4650e, 190W) 190W 6 hours 0.19 × 6 = 1.14kWh 30.0p
Airer + dehumidifier (Meaco Arete One 20L, 216W) 216W 6 hours 0.216 × 6 = 1.30kWh 34.1p
Heated airer (Dry:Soon Deluxe, 300W) 300W 6 hours 0.3 × 6 = 1.8kWh 47.4p
Heat-pump tumble dryer 1.8–2.1kWh per cycle 2–3 hours 1.8–2.1kWh 47–55p
Heated airer + dehumidifier (300W + 216W) 516W 6 hours 0.516 × 6 = 3.10kWh 81.5p
Condenser tumble dryer 4.5–5.2kWh per cycle 1.5–2 hours 4.5–5.2kWh £1.18–£1.37
Vented tumble dryer 4.5–5.3kWh per cycle 1.5–2 hours 4.5–5.3kWh £1.18–£1.39

How we got the figures:

  • Appliance power: Ebac and Argos (190W), Meaco (216W) and Lakeland/The Telegraph (300W).
  • Tumble dryer energy: the typical per-cycle ranges in a BBC consumer-advice piece published on 7 September 2026.
  • The 6-hour drying time is an assumption for a typical mixed load. Lakeland quotes 4–12 hours for its heated airers. A dehumidifier with a humidistat also switches off when the room is dry, so it may use less.

Work out your own figures with our running-cost calculator

Why not just use the radiators?

If the heating is on anyway, drying on radiators or an airer next to them costs nothing extra in electricity. But there are two catches:

  1. All the water goes into your home. A typical load holds about 2 litres of water. In a closed room in winter, that ends up as condensation on cold windows and walls, which is how black mould starts. The UK government's guidance on damp and mould lists drying laundry as one of the everyday activities that add moisture to the air.
  2. Clothes on radiators block the heat, so the room warms up more slowly and your boiler works harder.

Interestingly, an experiment the BBC's Morning Live ran with the University of Salford concluded that an airer near a radiator, with a dehumidifier running, was the best overall balance of cost, speed and ease.

How each method compares

Ordinary airer + dehumidifier: cheapest without the damp

The dehumidifier pulls the evaporated water out of the air and into its tank, so the clothes dry faster and the room doesn't get damp. Put both in a small room with the door shut, set the dehumidifier to laundry mode and point its airflow at the clothes.

  • Best for: most households, especially if you already have condensation problems
  • Downside: slower than a tumble dryer; the dehumidifier costs £135–£310 to buy

Heated airer: quick to set up, but adds moisture

A heated airer warms the clothes directly. With a cover, it can dry thin items in a few hours. On its own in a small, closed room it raises the humidity, so open a window a crack or pair it with a dehumidifier. See our best heated clothes airers.

  • Best for: smalls, shirts, and households without space for a dryer
  • Downside: bulky items take 5–12 hours

Heated airer + dehumidifier: fastest of the low-cost options

Using both costs more per load (about 82p in our example) but is the fastest way to dry a big load without a tumble dryer. In practice, you can switch the airer off once the thin items are dry.

Heat-pump tumble dryer: about the same per load, much more to buy

A heat-pump dryer recycles its own heat, so it uses less than half the energy of a condenser model. Running costs are similar to a heated airer, and it's much quicker. The catch is the purchase price, typically several hundred pounds.

Condenser and vented tumble dryers: most expensive to run

Quick and convenient, but at about £1.18–£1.39 a load they're the dearest option. Three loads a week works out at roughly £3.55–£4.19 a week.

Our tips for faster, cheaper indoor drying

  • Spin hard. Use the highest spin speed the fabric allows. Less water in the clothes means less drying time.
  • Hang heavy things at the top. Warm air rises, so put jeans and jumpers on the top rails and smalls at the bottom.
  • Space things out. Crowded clothes dry slowly and can smell musty.
  • One room, door shut. Dry in the smallest practical room with the dehumidifier, rather than letting the moisture spread round the house.
  • Never dry clothes on or near a portable heater. Electrical Safety First warns this is a fire risk.
  • Use timers. A heated airer with a timer, or a dehumidifier with a humidistat, stops you paying for hours you don't need.

See also: best heat pump tumble dryers, with label energy figures and payback times.

FAQs

How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier? Most compressor dehumidifiers use about 150–220W, which is 4–6p an hour at 26.32p/kWh. For example: 216W ÷ 1,000 × 26.32p = 5.7p an hour. Desiccant models use about 300–660W, so 8–17p an hour.

Is a dehumidifier cheaper than a tumble dryer? Yes, compared with a condenser or vented dryer: about 30–35p for six hours versus about £1.18–£1.39 a cycle. Against a heat-pump dryer it's roughly level on running costs, and slower.

Is a heated airer cheaper than a tumble dryer? Usually. About 47p for six hours on a 300W airer, against £1.18 or more for a condenser or vented dryer. A heat-pump dryer costs about the same as the airer.

Does drying clothes indoors cause mould? It can, if the moisture has nowhere to go. Ventilate, use an extractor fan, or run a dehumidifier. If mould keeps coming back, read our condensation and mould guide.

What's the cheapest way to dry clothes indoors overall? An ordinary airer in a warm room costs nothing extra, but risks damp. Adding a dehumidifier is the cheapest way to dry indoors and keep the room dry.

Sources