How Much Electricity Do Heated Clothes Airers Use? (How Much Will It Cost)

A heated airer can be a great choice to make if you don’t have a tumble dryer or aren’t sure it’s going to be worth getting one. They are easy to use, can be stored away compactly, and they get your clothes dry quicker. I mean, what more could you want? 

Heated clothes airers use 230W of electricity in order to dry your clothes on average. They tend to be fairly powerful considering their size, and the running costs can vary according to brand, use, and energy consumption, but seem to settle at around 4p per hour. 

If you want a more detailed rundown of the energy use and costs of a heated airer compared to other appliances like the mighty tumble dryer, there’s no better place to be than right here. 

How Much Will it Cost to Run a Heated Airer 

The running cost for a heated airer can depend on the model that you buy, the amount of power it uses, and how long you leave it running. However, to help give you a clearer idea of the cost, we have a fantastic comparison table that uses average running costs.

We hear you, comparison tables are boring, but these ones are important (and I worked really hard on them 🥺). 

Appliance	Price Per Hour (avg.)
Washing Machine	50p
Tumble Dryer	35p
Electric Heater	31p
Slow Cooker	25p
Iron	15p
Heated Airer	4p

As you can see, the heated airer is one of the cheapest home appliances to run on an hourly basis – especially in terms of our comparison chart. But is it really the most efficient based on how long it takes to dry clothes? Do you want to leave it up for an entire day? 

For light clothing, we have found that a heated airer takes around four or five hours in order to dry garments such as shirts. However, for heavier clothes like jumpers and other thick garments, you are looking at closer to 10-12 hours. 

This isn’t the end of the world, but when you’re living in a small space it can become pretty noticeable when you have it set up for 12 hours. Plus, does the price really make that much of a difference? 

Clothing Type	Drying Time (Hours)	Price
Light	5	20p
Heavy	12	48p

Using the longest time periods for each, you can see that for drying light clothing the heated airer is definitely the most cost-effective choice. It is only 20p for five hours of drying time, which is certainly cheaper than using a tumble dryer. 

However, the heavier garments pose a bit of a conundrum. For 12 hours of drying, the total running costs would be an average of 48p. This hikes up the price when compared to a dryer, and so if you have a lot of heavy garments a heated airer might not be worth it. 

If you are concerned about the price and efficiency of your heated airer and are comparing it to a tumble dryer, make sure you check the energy rating on the model. The higher it is, the lower the running costs are going to be so you can make an informed decision. 

Do Heated Clothes Airers Have Other Benefits? 

If you’re not completely sold on the heated airer, maybe some of these additional benefits will help you decide if you’re more of a tumble dryer or heated airer kind of person. 

Taking a Tumble

Why choose a tumble dryer? A dryer can be a great investment because once they have been set up, it’s done, you just have to throw the clothes in and get started. Once the cycle is done, your clothes are dry, and you can add dryer balls to keep them nice and fluffy. 

However, a tumble dryer has a high initial cost and the running costs can be fairly steep too – which definitely takes away some of the glamour. That’s where the heated airer comes in to offer a different perspective. 

Going Retro

Unlike the dryer, a heated airer can be packed away after use and slipped into a cupboard so that you can set it back up again when you need it later. They can take up a bit of space while in use, but the fact you get that area back again afterwards makes up for it. 

They are also great if you don’t have an outdoor space to dry your clothes in – especially during the summer when you would rather not be using a dryer all the time. Even if you do have an outdoor space, they make an excellent option for the autumn and winter months instead. 

A heated airer also has a lower up-front cost than a tumble dryer, which saves you money both in terms of the initial cost and the running costs over time. You can leave them overnight safely as well, with many having timers or automatic shutdown features for safety purposes. 

Read Here: Best Heated Airer Review

Final Thoughts

A heated airer is a great choice if you have a lot of light pieces of clothing to dry. While it does take longer for heavy garments tends to make up for this by reducing the costs massively on light clothing. I don’t know about you, but they are pretty toasty to snooze under too… 

Interested in a heated airer? We have a whole selection that you can choose from – the best on the market. We also have a fantastic series of guides to help you overcome common problems like this, laying out the facts so that you can make the right choice for yourself and your home. 

Last Updated on October 4, 2021 by Gemma Tyler