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Gas vs Electric Clothes Dryer Cost in California (2026)

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For 300 loads/year in California: a gas dryer costs about $132/year ($0.44/load), a standard electric resistance dryer costs $349/year ($1.16/load), and a heat pump dryer costs just $159/year ($0.53/load).

DryerPer loadPer year (300 loads)
Gas dryer (22,000 BTU/load) at $20.72/Mcf$0.44$132
Electric resistance dryer (3.3 kWh/load) at 35.25¢/kWh$1.16$349
Heat pump dryer (1.5 kWh/load) at 35.25¢/kWh$0.53$159

Heat pump dryers use about 55% less electricity than resistance dryers for the same drying. They also don’t need an external vent — useful in apartments or interior rooms.

Which dryer makes sense in California?

  • Cheapest to run here: Gas dryer at $132/year.
  • If you don’t have a gas hookup: heat pump dryers are the no-brainer choice — same drying, half the operating cost, no vent needed. The install premium ($300–$800 vs a resistance dryer) pays back in 2–4 years.
  • If you’re replacing an existing gas dryer: staying with gas is usually fine. The savings from switching are typically < $50/year unless you live in a high-gas-price state.

How we calculated this

Default assumption: 300 loads/year (about 6 loads/week for a 2–4 person household). Per-load energy comes from ENERGY STAR specifications — gas at ~22,000 BTU, electric resistance at ~3.3 kWh, heat pump at ~1.5 kWh. Multiply by California’s gas price ($20.72/Mcf, EIA March 2026) or electricity rate (35.25¢/kWh, EIA April 2026).

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