How many watts does a heat pump tumble dryer use?

By Tom Calder · Figures checked 4 November 2026 · Costs at 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026)

In short

A heat pump tumble dryer such as Bosch’s WTW87561GB is rated at only 1,000W and uses 1.24 to 2.06 kWh a load, about 33p to 54p at 26.32p per kWh: roughly 40% of a condenser dryer’s energy per kilogram, but it takes longer.

A kettle coming to the boil beside a microwave and slow cooker in a warmly lit kitchen on a rainy evening

The numbers

Running watts: 1,000W; Bosch WTW87561GB: connection rating 1,000W.
Amps at 230V (most): 4.3A
Energy per load: 1.24 to 2.06 kWh; Bosch WTW87561GB energy label: 2.06 kWh for a full 9kg cotton load (2 hours 46), 1.24 kWh for a half load (1 hour 48).
Cost per load: 33p to 54p
Cost per hour at full power: 26p
On a 1kWh power station: 0.4 to 0.6 of a load
On a 2kWh power station: 0.7 to 1.2 loads

Costs use 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap's average Direct Debit electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own rate is on your bill; on a fixed or time-of-use tariff it will differ.

How it’s used, and what that costs

A heat pump dryer recycles the warm air instead of heating fresh air and throwing it away, so it draws less power for longer. Bosch labels the 9kg WTW87561GB at 2.06 kWh for a full cotton load over 166 minutes, against 4.63 kWh over 137 minutes for an 8kg load in its condenser WTG86401GB. Per kilogram that is about 0.23 kWh against 0.58 kWh.

The honest bit

Whether a heat pump dryer pays back depends on how often you tumble dry: for a household that uses one most days the saving adds up; for one that dries outside most of the year, it may not.

In a power cut: how long a power station would run it

A 1kWh power station: 0.4 to 0.6 of a load. A 2kWh power station: 0.7 to 1.2 loads. These use the same planning method as our power station pages: capacity × 90% usable depth × 85% inverter efficiency, divided by the load plus about 10W the unit uses itself (BLUETTI’s UK formula). Counts of uses leave out the unit’s own draw, so treat them as a little generous.

Output matters as much as capacity. The 7 units around 1kWh we list supply 1,500W to 2,000W continuously, and the 6 around 2kWh supply 2,200W to 3,000W, so check a unit’s rated output covers 1,000W before you rely on it.

To size one for everything you’d want to keep running, use the sizer on our power stations comparison.