What an electric clothes dryer costs to run in Washington
Washington homes use 683 kWh a year on an electric clothes dryer. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $35.76 to $104.04 a year across 22 published Washington plans — a $68.28 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule RLC - Residential Low-Income: Citytime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $35.29 | −$0.47 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLS-Residential Low-Income: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $35.29 | −$0.47 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $35.29 | −$0.47 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule REC - Residential Elderly/Disabled: Citytime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $35.39 | −$0.37 | 4.4¢ |
| RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35✓ cheapesttiered | $35.76 | — | 5.9¢ |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $37.08 | +$1.32 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $37.08 | +$1.32 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $37.56 | +$1.80 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLT-Residential Low-Income: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $37.57 | +$1.81 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $37.73 | +$1.97 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $37.73 | +$1.97 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $37.73 | +$1.97 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $37.73 | +$1.97 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattleflat rate | $95.04 | +$59.28 | 15.3¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Rentonflat rate | $96.36 | +$60.60 | 15.5¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Parkflat rate | $102.48 | +$66.72 | 16.4¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwilaflat rate | $103.20 | +$67.44 | 16.6¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Parkflat rate | $104.04 | +$68.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: SeaTacflat rate | $104.04 | +$68.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: Burienflat rate | $104.04 | +$68.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSH-Residential: Shorelineflat rate | $104.04 | +$68.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King Countyflat rate | $104.04 | +$68.28 | 16.7¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $17.28 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $50.16, a $32.88 spread
- Average — cheapest $35.76 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $104.04, a $68.28 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $44.88 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $130.56, a $85.68 spread
What an electric clothes dryer costs here
Across 22 plans priced in Washington, an electric clothes dryer adds $35.76 to $104.04 a year — $2.98 to $8.67 a month. The median plan puts an electric clothes dryer at $103.62 a year.
Cheapest for an electric clothes dryer: RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35, Modern Electric Water Company. Dearest: Schedule RSB-Residential: King County, City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company).
Those 683 kWh are billed at 5.2¢–15.2¢, against a 16.6¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Washington homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 683 kWh a year across 355 sampled homes that run one, near the national 680 kWh. The middle half spans 329 kWh to 857 kWh, so an electric clothes dryer varies by 528 kWh between one household and another.
The heating element and drum motor across a year of loads. That average covers homes with an electric clothes dryer — 77% of homes here, against 67% nationally.
That makes an electric clothes dryer about 6% of the electricity a Washington home uses. The remaining 10,307 kWh is what an electric clothes dryer is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
By provider
On each Washington provider's cheapest plan: Modern Electric Water Company, $35.76; City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company), $95.04.
City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company) charges $59.28 a year more than Modern Electric Water Company on RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35 for the same 683 kWh.
Light and heavy use of an electric clothes dryer
A household in the lighter quarter runs an electric clothes dryer for 329 kWh a year and pays $17.28 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 857 kWh and pays $44.88 — $27.60 more for an electric clothes dryer on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Washington, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 22 Washington tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 47.6588, -117.4260.