Gas wins
$318 cheaper
Gas
$1,930
Electric
$2,247
Break-even
Year 6
Gas wins
Saves $318 over 12 years · breaks even in year 6
$1,930
$2,247
Cumulative cost over time — crossover at year 6
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Price as of Jul 24, 2026. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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Result
Gas runs ~$86/year vs electric ~$137/year. The $300 pricier gas hookup is recovered by year 6, then gas saves ~$51/year — a steady win for everyday use.
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Result
Doubling the laundry doubles the running cost — gas ~$172/year vs electric ~$275/year. The savings jump to ~$103/year, so gas breaks even by year 3.
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Result
In a high-power-cost region the electric dryer runs ~$257/year while gas holds at ~$86. Savings hit ~$172/year and gas pays back in about 2 years.
For a typical home drying 5 loads a week (260/year) in 2026, a gas dryer costs about $86/year to run (0.22 therm/load at $1.50/therm) versus about $137/year for a standard electric dryer (3.3 kWh/load at $0.16/kWh). The gas dryer costs roughly $300 more up front because it needs a gas hookup, but it saves ~$51/year, breaking even around year 6 and winning by ~$318 over 12 years. The wildcard is a heat-pump (condenser) electric dryer: it uses about half the electricity — roughly $69/year — which can undercut gas, though it costs $1,200+ up front.
To run, almost always yes. Natural gas delivers heat far cheaper per BTU than electricity, so a gas dryer (about 0.22 therm per load) costs roughly $86/year versus about $137/year for a standard vented electric dryer (about 3.3 kWh per load) at typical 2026 rates and 5 loads a week. The catch is up front: a gas dryer needs a gas hookup, so it installs around $300 higher. That gap is repaid by ~$51/year of energy savings, so gas breaks even near year 6 and wins by ~$318 over 12 years. If your laundry room has no gas line, the cost to add one (often $200–$500+) can erase the advantage.
| Dryer | Installed | Running / year | 12-Year Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas (0.22 therm/load) | $900 | ~$86 | ~$1,930 |
| Electric (3.3 kWh/load) | $600 | ~$137 | ~$2,248 |
| Heat-pump electric | $1,300 | ~$69 | ~$2,124 |
Multiply energy per load by your rate, then by loads per year. A gas dryer uses about 0.22 therm per load — roughly $0.33 at $1.50/therm — so 5 loads a week (260/year) costs about $86. A standard electric dryer uses about 3.3 kWh per load — roughly $0.53 at $0.16/kWh — about $137/year. A heat-pump electric dryer halves the electricity to about 1.65 kWh per load, around $69/year. Cost scales linearly with use: double your loads to 10 a week and every figure doubles, which is also when the gas advantage compounds fastest.
Break-even is when the gas dryer’s lower running cost repays its higher install. Divide the up-front gap by the yearly savings: a ~$300 pricier gas dryer saving ~$51/year breaks even in about 6 years. Heavy use shortens that fast — at 10 loads a week the savings climb to ~$103/year and break-even falls to ~3 years. Where electricity is expensive ($0.30/kWh) the savings reach ~$172/year and gas pays off in ~2 years. Because dryers last 12–18 years, gas almost always pays back within its life — unless you must run a new gas line first.
It can. A heat-pump (ventless condenser) electric dryer recycles its own heat, using about half the electricity of a standard electric dryer — roughly 1.65 kWh per load, or about $69/year. That undercuts even a gas dryer’s running cost in many regions, with no gas line and no vent to the outside, which makes it ideal for apartments and retrofits. The trade-offs: a heat-pump dryer costs $1,200+ versus ~$600 for a standard electric, and cycles run longer and cooler. Over 12 years its total can still trail gas (~$2,124 vs ~$1,930) unless electricity is pricey, but it beats a standard electric dryer outright.
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Last Updated: Jul 24, 2026
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