The short answer

Cost per load = dryer kW × hours the cycle runs × your rate. Use the kW from the label or manual and time a typical load. A gas dryer's electricity use is only its motor; its heat is on the gas bill.

Three kinds of dryer, three bills

  • Electric resistance (most 240 V dryers): heating element plus motor, all on the electric bill.
  • Heat-pump dryer: lower draw, longer cycles, all electric.
  • Gas dryer: motor and controls on the electric bill; the burner on the gas bill. A jump in the electric bill is not explained by a gas dryer's heat.

Worked examples per load

Cost per load from label kW and cycle time (example rate $0.20/kWh; replace with yours)
Scenario kWh / day kWh / period Cost / period
4,500 W element × 45-minute cycle 3.375 3.375 $0.68
4,500 W element × 70-minute cycle 5.265 5.265 $1.05
1,000 W heat-pump dryer × 2-hour cycle 2 2 $0.40

Basis: Round-number illustrations. Substitute the kW from your dryer's label or manual and the minutes your own cycle takes. The 'days' column is set to 1 so the period equals one load.

Multiply by your loads per month to compare with the bill change. The element does cycle during a run, so these are upper bounds; a measured whole-house meter reading before and after a load is the only precise check.

Why a plug-in meter cannot measure it

240 V dryers use a different outlet

Plug-in meters like the Kill A Watt are rated for 120 V outlets and loads within their marked limits (the P4460 manual states 15 A, 1,875 W). A 240 V dryer exceeds both and uses a different plug. Do not adapt one. Use the label figure, or read your utility meter before and after one load with everything else steady.

Free changes that cut cost

  • Clean the lint screen every load and keep the vent clear; a restricted vent makes every cycle longer. Vent repair itself is a maintenance job outside this guide.
  • Use the moisture sensor setting rather than a timed cycle, and do not over-dry.
  • Spin faster in the washer; less water in means less time in the dryer.
  • Dry full loads, and line-dry when you can. The calculator shows what each avoided load is worth.

Sources and evidence

What we are relying on

Energy cost for a steady load = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per day × days × your rate in dollars per kWh.
Arithmetic method, not a measurement. Appliances that cycle on and off need measured kWh or actual runtime, not nameplate watts × 24 hours.
The P4460 manual specifies measurement ranges up to 125 V rms, 15 A rms and 1,875 W and restricts use in wet locations. The unit label states the maximum ratings.
Verified from the manufacturer or official document. A rating limit does not make every appliance suitable; follow both the meter and appliance instructions.

What this page does not establish

  • No dryer was measured for this page; per-load figures are upper-bound arithmetic from assumed label ratings and cycle times.
  • Gas dryer heat costs are on the gas bill and are not calculated here.

Sources

  1. Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use, Virginia Cooperative Extension. Calculation method; read 2026-09-07.
  2. Kill A Watt EZ P4460 operation manual, P3 International. Manufacturer document; read 2026-09-07.

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