How many watts does a 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 condenser tumble dryer such as Bosch’s WTG86401GB is rated at 2,600W and uses 2.61 kWh for a half load to 4.63 kWh for a full 8kg load of cottons, about 69p to £1.22 a load at 26.32p per kWh. Vented dryers use about the same; a heat pump dryer uses about 40% of the energy per kilogram.

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: 2,600W; Bosch WTG86401GB condenser: connection rating 2,600W.
Amps at 230V (most): 11.3A
Energy per load: 2.61 to 4.63 kWh; Bosch WTG86401GB condenser energy label: 4.63 kWh for a full 8kg cotton load (2 hours 17), 2.61 kWh for half (1 hour 22).
Cost per load: 69p to £1.22
Cost per hour at full power: 68p
On a 1kWh power station: Too much for the units around 1kWh we list (1,500W to 2,000W output)
On a 2kWh power station: 0.3 to 0.6 of a load (only 2 of the 6 units around 2kWh we list can supply 2,600W)

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

Bosch’s label for the WTG86401GB gives 4.63 kWh over 137 minutes for a full load of cottons, so the heater and fan are running most of the cycle. Beko’s 7kg vented DRVT71 is labelled at 4.20 kWh full and 2.40 kWh half, which puts vented and condenser dryers in the same range.

Bosch’s 9kg heat pump WTW87561GB, by contrast, is labelled at 2.06 kWh for a full load. Per kilogram that is about 40% of the condenser’s energy, though it takes longer. See the heat pump tumble dryer page.

The honest bit

A tumble dryer used every day is one of the bigger electricity costs in a home. Drying outside or on an airer is free, and a heated airer sits in between.

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

A 1kWh power station: too much for the units around 1kWh we list (1,500W to 2,000W output). A 2kWh power station: 0.3 to 0.6 of a load (only 2 of the 6 units around 2kWh we list can supply 2,600W). 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 2,600W before you rely on it.

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

Common questions

How much does a vented tumble dryer cost per load?

Beko’s 7kg vented DRVT71 is labelled at 4.20 kWh for a full cotton load and 2.40 kWh for a half load, so roughly the same as a condenser dryer: at 26.32p per kWh, about £1.11 a full load and 63p a half load.