Gas Dryer vs. Electric Dryer: Which Costs Less Over 10 Years?
A gas dryer may cost less to run than a conventional electric dryer.
But that does not automatically make gas the cheaper choice.
The real answer depends on something many comparisons overlook:
What hookups does your home already have?
If your laundry room already has a usable gas connection, the math can favor gas. If you need a new gas line, however, the added installation cost can take years to recover.
The same issue applies to electric dryers if your home needs electrical work before installation.
This calculator compares the entire financial picture: purchase price, installation cost, electricity, natural gas, and long-term ownership cost.
Do not choose between a gas and electric dryer based on fuel price alone. Compare the actual dryers, your local utility rates, and any installation or hookup work your home requires. An existing gas connection can make gas more attractive, while an expensive new gas-line installation can erase years of operating-cost savings.
Gas vs. Electric Dryer Cost Calculator
Enter the actual specifications for the dryers you are considering whenever possible.
For a gas dryer, enter natural gas consumption in therms and the dryer's separate electricity consumption. For an electric dryer, enter annual electricity consumption.
Gas vs. Electric Dryer 10-Year Cost Calculator
Compare purchase, installation, hookup and annual utility costs.
Gas Dryer
Electric Dryer
Your Utility Rates
Estimates only. Actual appliance energy use, fuel prices, installation requirements, maintenance, venting, repairs, product life and other costs may vary.
Gas vs. Electric Dryer: What Actually Determines the Cost?
The energy source matters, but it is only one part of the decision.
The more useful equation is:
Total Cost = Purchase Price + Installation + Hookup Work + Utility Cost
That means two households can compare the same gas and electric dryers and reach completely different conclusions.
A home that already has the necessary gas connection has a very different starting point from a home that would require new gas work.
Start With the Connections Already in Your Laundry Room
Before comparing dryer prices, look at your existing laundry setup.
If you already have the infrastructure required for one dryer type, replacing it with the same type may avoid additional conversion costs.
If changing fuel types requires professional gas or electrical work, include that cost in the comparison rather than treating it as separate from the dryer purchase.
This is why the calculator provides separate fields for basic installation and additional hookup work.
How Much Does an Electric Dryer Cost to Run?
The basic calculation is simple:
Annual Electricity Use × Electricity Rate
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a U.S. residential average electricity price of 18.44 cents per kWh for May 2026.
At that rate, an electric dryer using 608 kWh per year would cost approximately:
608 × $0.1844 = $112.12 per year
Your actual cost can differ substantially because electricity rates vary by state and utility.
How Much Does a Gas Dryer Cost to Run?
A gas dryer typically uses natural gas for heat while still requiring electricity for components such as the motor and controls.
That means its operating cost should include both fuels:
Natural Gas Cost + Electricity Cost
For example, if a dryer used:
- 24 therms of natural gas per year
- 30 kWh of electricity per year
and the household paid $1.82 per therm and 18.44 cents per kWh, the estimated annual cost would be:
Natural gas: 24 × $1.82 = $43.68
Electricity: 30 × $0.1844 = $5.53
Total: about $49.21 per year
These inputs are examples for demonstrating the calculator. Use your actual appliance specifications and utility rates whenever possible.
Why ENERGY STAR Gas Dryer kWh Can Be Confusing
There is an important detail when researching gas dryers.
ENERGY STAR Product Finder may display an estimated annual energy-use figure in kWh/year for a gas dryer.
That does not mean the gas dryer literally consumes that entire amount as electricity.
ENERGY STAR explains that estimated annual energy use for gas dryers is expressed in kilowatt-hour equivalent terms so products using different energy sources can be compared on a common basis.
For calculating your actual household bill, it is more useful to separate natural gas consumption from electricity consumption whenever those figures are available.
Real ENERGY STAR Dryer Examples
Current ENERGY STAR listings demonstrate why actual model data matters.
| Dryer Type | Capacity | CEF | ENERGY STAR Annual Energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Electric Example | 7.4 cu. ft. | 3.93 | 608 kWh/yr |
| Gas Example | 7.4 cu. ft. | 3.48 | 687 kWh-equivalent/yr |
| Heat Pump Electric Example | 7.8 cu. ft. | 9.0 | 266 kWh/yr |
The gas figure is expressed as equivalent multi-source energy use for comparison. It should not be multiplied directly by your electricity rate to estimate a gas dryer's household operating cost.
Installation Cost Can Change the Winner
Suppose the gas dryer saves approximately $60 per year in utilities.
If both dryer types can use existing connections, those annual savings can become financially meaningful relatively quickly.
But suppose switching to gas requires an additional $800 of installation work.
A $60 annual operating-cost advantage would require more than 13 years to recover that additional $800, before considering repairs, financing, or changes in energy prices.
That is why a statement such as “gas dryers are cheaper to run” does not answer the more important buying question:
Which dryer is cheaper for my house?
Existing Gas Hookup vs. Adding a New Gas Line
An existing usable gas connection can materially improve the financial case for a gas dryer.
Adding or modifying gas infrastructure is different.
The work required varies by home, local code, distance, existing gas capacity and other installation conditions.
CostCandid therefore does not assume a universal gas-line installation price.
Enter the quote applicable to your home in the calculator.
What If the Electric Dryer Needs Electrical Work?
The same principle applies to an electric dryer.
If the required electrical connection is already available, the additional hookup cost may be minimal.
If electrical upgrades are required, those costs belong in the ownership comparison.
Again, use a qualified local estimate rather than a generic national installation figure.
5-Year Cost vs. 10-Year Cost
A dryer with the lowest purchase price is not necessarily the lowest-cost dryer over its ownership period.
That is why the calculator shows both five-year and 10-year results.
Over a short ownership period, upfront cost has greater influence.
As ownership length increases, recurring utility costs become more important.
This is especially relevant when one option requires substantial conversion or hookup work.
Does Gas Always Cost Less to Operate?
No.
Natural gas and electricity prices vary significantly by location and over time.
Dryer efficiency also varies by model.
A highly efficient electric dryer can produce a very different result from a conventional resistance electric dryer.
The only useful comparison is one based on the actual dryers and utility prices available to you.
What About Heat Pump Dryers?
Gas and conventional electric are no longer the only meaningful dryer choices.
Heat pump dryers reuse heat rather than continuously creating and exhausting hot air in the same way as a conventional resistance dryer.
Current ENERGY STAR Product Finder data includes full-size heat pump models with estimated annual energy use far below many conventional electric models.
That introduces a third question:
Gas vs. conventional electric vs. heat pump — which has the lowest total cost?
If you are considering a heat pump dryer, compare its higher purchase price with the electricity savings over the period you expect to own it.
When a Gas Dryer Can Make Financial Sense
A gas dryer becomes more financially attractive when:
- your home already has the required gas connection
- natural gas is relatively inexpensive in your area
- electricity is relatively expensive
- you do a large amount of laundry
- you expect to keep the dryer for many years
When an Electric Dryer Can Make More Sense
An electric dryer can be financially attractive when:
- your home already has the required electrical connection
- adding a gas line would be expensive
- your household does relatively little laundry
- electricity is relatively inexpensive
- the electric dryer has a substantially lower upfront cost
- you are considering a highly efficient heat pump model
Gas vs. Electric Dryer: Quick Comparison
| Factor | Gas Dryer | Electric Dryer |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Heat Source | Natural gas | Electricity |
| Electricity Use | Still uses some electricity | Primary energy source |
| Upfront Appliance Cost | Often higher | Often lower for conventional models |
| Conversion Cost | Can be significant if gas connection is unavailable | Can be significant if electrical work is required |
| Operating Cost | Depends on gas + electricity rates | Depends on electricity rate and efficiency |
| Best Financial Fit | Often strongest with existing gas hookup | Often strongest with existing electrical infrastructure |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a gas dryer cheaper to run than an electric dryer?
It can be, but not universally. The answer depends on dryer efficiency and your local natural gas and electricity prices.
Is a gas dryer cheaper over 10 years?
Possibly. A gas dryer with lower annual utility costs can overcome a higher purchase price over time, but additional gas-line or installation costs can significantly delay or eliminate that payback.
Does a gas dryer use electricity?
Yes. A gas dryer uses gas as its primary heat source but still requires electricity for components such as the motor and controls.
Why does ENERGY STAR list gas dryer energy use in kWh?
ENERGY STAR expresses gas-dryer annual energy use in kWh-equivalent terms so products using different energy sources can be compared using a common energy measure.
Should I switch from electric to gas?
Do not decide from fuel cost alone. Include the cost of any gas-line work, installation and the actual dryer purchase-price difference.
Should I switch from gas to electric?
That depends on your existing infrastructure, energy prices and the dryer you plan to buy. If changing to electric requires electrical work, include that cost as well.
What if I already have a gas hookup?
That removes one potentially significant conversion cost and can improve the financial case for replacing a gas dryer with another gas model.
What if I already have the required electric dryer connection?
That can improve the economics of an electric replacement because major electrical conversion work may not be necessary.
Is a heat pump dryer cheaper than gas?
It can be in some households, especially where electricity prices, gas prices, purchase price and expected ownership period favor the heat pump model. It should be evaluated as a separate total-cost comparison rather than assumed to be cheaper or more expensive.
Methodology
CostCandid calculates gas-dryer annual utility cost as:
(Annual Therms × Gas Rate) + (Annual kWh × Electricity Rate)
Electric-dryer annual utility cost is calculated as:
Annual kWh × Electricity Rate
Upfront cost is calculated as:
Purchase Price + Basic Installation + Additional Hookup or Conversion Cost
Five-year and 10-year total cost equals upfront cost plus estimated utility cost over the respective period.
Simple payback divides the additional upfront cost of gas by estimated annual operating savings when gas has both a higher upfront cost and lower annual utility cost.
The calculator does not include financing, repairs, maintenance, taxes, future energy-price inflation, time value of money, vent maintenance, rebates or differences in product lifespan.
Sources
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — ENERGY STAR
Clothes Dryers Product Finder and certified product data. Used for dryer efficiency methodology, annual energy-use examples and gas-dryer kWh-equivalent methodology.
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Electric Power Monthly and Natural Gas data. Used for U.S. residential utility-price context.
U.S. Department of Energy
Consumer clothes-dryer test procedures and energy-efficiency standards.
CostCandid provides independent cost estimates for educational purposes. Actual appliance prices, installation costs, utility rates, energy consumption, maintenance, repairs and product life vary by household, product and location.
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