Laundry · North Carolina
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Clothes Dryer in North Carolina?
The short answer
A typical clothes dryer uses about 3.00 kWh per load, which costs $0.45 per load in North Carolina — about $9.88 a month at 5 loads a week.
That’s based on North Carolina’s average residential rate of 15.2¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 17% below the US average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Clothes Dryer cost by number of loads in North Carolina
| Usage | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 load/week | 13.0 | $0.06 | $1.98 | $23.71 |
| 3 loads/week | 39.1 | $0.19 | $5.93 | $71.14 |
| 5 loads/week | 65.2 | $0.32 | $9.88 | $119 |
| 7 loads/week | 91.3 | $0.45 | $13.84 | $166 |
| 10 loads/week | 130.4 | $0.65 | $19.76 | $237 |
| 14 loads/week | 182.5 | $0.91 | $27.67 | $332 |
North Carolina vs other states
At typical use, a clothes dryer costs $119 a year in North Carolina — $257 less than in Hawaii and $19.08 more than in Louisiana.
North Carolina has the 16th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. North Carolina price per kWh · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in North Carolina
15.2¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +13.4% 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 North Carolina?
A typical load uses about 3.00 kWh, which costs $0.45 at North Carolina’s average rate of 15.2¢/kWh. An efficient model can cost as little as $0.23 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 North Carolina that costs $9.88.
Is it expensive to run a clothes dryer in North Carolina?
North Carolina has the 16th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 15.2¢/kWh — cheaper than most. Running a clothes dryer here costs about $119 a year at typical use, compared with $143 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in North Carolina right now?
The average residential electricity rate in North Carolina was 15.2¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 13.4% 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 North Carolina
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).