Clothes drying
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To use an electric clothes dryer to dry your clothes can cost about $100 a year in energy bills and creates nearly half a tonne of greenhouse gas.
About clothes dryers
More than half (about 55 percent) of Australian households own a clothes dryer.
Clothes dryers work by tumbling clothes, heating, and airing them. A clothes dryer used three times per week will cost about $25 per quarter and create 125 kilograms of greenhouse gas. That may not sound like much, but it all adds up!
Gas clothes dryers, although more expensive to buy and install, are cheaper to run, dry faster and have lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Getting the most out of clothes dryers
The most energy and cost efficient way of drying your clothes is to use the sun. “Solar powered” dryers cost nothing and do just as good a job as an electric clothes dryer.
In reality, the clothes dryer is a useful tool, as it is often faster than sun-drying and can be used on rainy days. The key to getting the most out of your clothes dryer is to use it as little as possible.
On sunny days, and when you have time, consider hanging your clothes on the line. An external line or clothes horse on a unit balcony with good airflow and direct sunlight can dry your clothes in a few hours on a summer’s day, about the same time as it takes a clothes dryer. On cold, still, or overcast days, it can take a bit longer.
When using a clothes dryer, it is important to regularly clean the lint filter. Clothes dryers work by passing heated air through your clothes, so if your lint filter is blocked it means that your dryer is less effective. Clogged filters in clothes dryers have also been known to start house fires.
Only use full loads in the dryer. Clothes dryers use the same amount of energy whether they are half full or full, so take advantage of it and dry more.
Some new dryers come with built-in moisture sensors, which detects the amount of moisture in the dryer. When the clothes are dry, it automatically shuts off the dryer.
Ensure that you spin-dry your clothes in the washing machine before placing them in the clothes dryer.
Purchasing an energy-efficient dryer?
There are two main types of dryers, electric and gas-fired.
Electric dryers generally take longer to dry clothes, are more costly to run, and create more greenhouse gas, but are cheaper to purchase. Electric dryers come with energy star ratings. Choosing a dryer with an extra star rating can save you around 15 percent on your energy bill.
In the long run they are cheaper to run and take less time to dry your clothes.
Consider purchasing a dryer with a built-in moisture sensor, to shut off when the clothes are dry. Moisture-sensor models don't subject clothing to unnecessary heat, and are esier on fabrics. Because they shut off when laundry is dry, they save energy and you save money on your power bills.
