Go Green with an Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer
Did you know that a clothes dryer uses more energy than any other appliance in the home?
Wow!
(With washing machines and dishwashers, the heat used is mainly to heat water, which doesn’t compare to the heat which must be generated for drying clothes).
Here’s another really interesting fact:
80 percent of American homes have clothes dryers
And those clothes dryers are not energy efficient
Because up till now, there were no Energy Star certified clothes dryer models.
But now there are!
Why is an Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer a Big Deal?
It’s a big deal because the savings potential is huge.
Dryers earning the new Energy Star label are at least 20 percent more efficient than conventional models.
If all residential clothes dryers sold in the U.S. were Energy Star certified, Americans could save $1.5 billion each year in utility costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 2 million vehicles!
Why is an Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer Better?
I wanted to know what the improvements are, so I asked the friendly people at the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).
They told me that there are 2 main reasons why the new Energy Star certified clothes dryers are so much better than conventional models.
Firstly, the new models save energy by using improved sensors which recognise very quickly when clothes are dry, and immediately switch off the machine automatically, saving energy and money.
Secondly, there’s new technology from Europe which recaptures the hot air used by the dryer and pumps it back into the drum. By re-using most of the heat, it’s much more energy efficient and can avoid the need for ducts.
Compared to a standard new dryer, an Energy Star certified electric dryer can save 1,900 kWh of electricity and $190 in energy bill costs.
If you use a gas dryer, an Energy Star certified gas dryer can save more than 6 million BTUs of natural gas, and $65 in energy bills costs compared to a standard new dryer.
Should I buy an Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer?
Yes – but ONLY if you genuinely need one.
Green living, as you know, is all about conserving resources. So don’t buy a new energy efficient clothes dryer if you already have a working dryer.
But
- If you genuinely need a new dryer for the climate you live in (i.e. you can’t line-dry your clothes), and you don’t already have a clothes dryer, or
- If your current clothes dryer is broken and cannot be fixed, or
- If your current clothes dryer is really, really old
Then yes, do buy a new energy efficient clothes dryer that is Energy Star certified.
Is an Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer More Expensive?
The good news is that Energy Star dryers cost about the same as standard dryers to purchase, so you don’t pay extra for the new technology!
Which Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer Should I Buy?
Well, you’re spoilt for choice! 45 models of Energy Star certified dryers, from five different manufacturers, are now available in stores across the US, in gas, electric and compact models from big names such as Whirlpool, Maytag, Kenmore, LG and Safemate.
Choose a model that is the right size (drum capacity) for your household.
Here is a great resource – use this Product Finder Tool for the Energy Star certified energy efficient clothes dryer that is right for you.
Whichever model you choose will be at least 20 percent more efficient than conventional models.
Earlier, I mentioned about the new technology heat pumps which re-use heat.
There are two models of energy efficient clothes dryer which sport this new feature and are a massive 40 percent more efficient than standard dryers:
- LG EcoHybrid Heat Pump Dryer (model DLHX4072)
- Whirlpool HybridCare Heat Pump Dryer (model WED99HED).
So, if you need a new dryer, make sure to buy an Energy Star certified energy efficient clothes dryer – save money, AND help save the planet!
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More : Eco friendly laundry drying and All-natural laundry detergent
Clare, I have a new clothes dryer in my home, it’s a metal stand that I hang my wet things on. 🙂 After living in apartments for the last decade I’d missed hanging my clothes out and when I learned from a woman living in Ireland, a place with cold and rain, that hardly any home had a clothes dryer it was time to go back to basics for me.
What bothers me isn’t so much the percentage of homes that have a clothes dryer it’s the growing number of homes that have two sets of washers and dryer in their homes. I’m not sure if this is only a trend in the US or if it is happening elsewhere but it blows me away that we’ve taken a set of appliances our great-grandparents couldn’t even dream of and become so lazy we now have to have multiple sets of them.
LOL Lois, that sounds like my clothes dryer – but I’m the first to admit that I have it easy in a hot climate when it comes to drying clothes. I’ve never owned a dryer.
Yes, when I was growing up in Ireland (which is indeed very wet!), most houses had a pulley system, generally in the kitchen, close to the Aga or big stove. When it was too wet to dry clothes outdoors (which was often), they would be placed on the multiple clothes lines in the kitchen, then those lines would be raised up to sit close to the ceiling. They were out of the way (space normally being at a premium) and of course the hot air from the Aga rose naturally and so “automatically” and naturally dried all the clothes. Of course it wasn’t as quick and easy as a modern clothes dryer, but it worked and it was very eco friendly, using zero energy.
I confess to being flabbergasted at the mere thought that a home would have 2 sets of washers / dryers. Like you, I find that absolutely horrific. I just don’t get it. Thanks for letting me know.