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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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: Jun 16, 2026
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