Laundry · Iowa
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Clothes Dryer in Iowa?
The short answer
Each load in a clothes dryer costs about $0.48 in Iowa (3.00 kWh per load). At 5 loads a week, that adds up to $10.42 a month, or $125 a year.
Iowa’s average residential rate was 16.0¢ per kWh in July 2026 (EIA), 13% below the US average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Clothes Dryer cost by number of loads in Iowa
| Usage | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 load/week | 13.0 | $0.07 | $2.08 | $25.01 |
| 3 loads/week | 39.1 | $0.21 | $6.25 | $75.04 |
| 5 loads/week | 65.2 | $0.34 | $10.42 | $125 |
| 7 loads/week | 91.3 | $0.48 | $14.59 | $175 |
| 10 loads/week | 130.4 | $0.69 | $20.85 | $250 |
| 14 loads/week | 182.5 | $0.96 | $29.18 | $350 |
Iowa vs other states
At typical use, a clothes dryer costs $125 a year in Iowa — $250 less than in Hawaii and $25.58 more than in Louisiana.
Iowa has the 24th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. electricity prices in Iowa · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in Iowa
16.0¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +4.4% from a year earlier.
How to lower the cost of running a clothes dryer
Electric dryers have heating elements of around 5,000W, and a typical load takes 45–60 minutes with the element cycling, for roughly 2.5–3.5 kWh per load. Heat pump dryers use about half as much, and line drying uses none. Moisture sensors that stop the cycle when clothes are dry save more than timed cycles.
- Use the moisture-sensing (auto-dry) setting instead of a fixed timer.
- Clean the lint filter every load and check the vent duct yearly.
- Dry loads back-to-back to use leftover heat, and air-dry when you can.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost per load to run a clothes dryer in Iowa?
A typical load uses about 3.00 kWh, which costs $0.48 at Iowa’s average rate of 16.0¢/kWh. An efficient model can cost as little as $0.24 per load.
How many kWh does a clothes dryer use per month?
At 5 loads a week, a typical clothes dryer uses about 65.2 kWh a month. In Iowa that costs $10.42.
Is it expensive to run a clothes dryer in Iowa?
Iowa has the 24th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 16.0¢/kWh — close to the middle of the pack. Running a clothes dryer here costs about $125 a year at typical use, compared with $143 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in Iowa right now?
The average residential electricity rate in Iowa was 16.0¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 4.4% from a year earlier.
How many kWh does a dryer use per load?
Typically 2.5–3.5 kWh for a standard electric dryer, and about half that for a heat pump dryer.
Clothes Dryer costs in nearby states
Other appliances in Iowa
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for clothes dryer: 5 loads a week. Typical power 5,000W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).