# How much does a heated airer cost to run? Canonical page: https://everydaygarmentcare.co.uk/drying/heated-airer-running-cost/ Publisher: Everyday Garment Care Practical guide / Indoor drying Use the heated airer running-cost calculator to estimate electricity per session, week, month or year. Download your calculations and compare 230 W, 300 W and 850 W examples. By Everyday Garment Care · Updated November 2026 ![A loaded rail airer beside an electricity monitor on a utility-room worktop]() ## The short answer At 26.32p per kWh, a 300 W airer drawing its rated power costs about 7.9p an hour or 31.6p for four hours. Divide watts by 1,000, multiply by hours, then multiply by the unit price on your electricity bill. ## Use the electricity unit rate from your bill The examples here use **26.32p per kWh**, Ofgem's average electricity unit rate for standard variable tariff customers paying by Direct Debit in Great Britain during October to December 2026. It was checked in November 2026. Regional rates and payment methods vary. Fixed and time-of-use tariffs can have different rates, and Northern Ireland has separate arrangements. For your own estimate, take the electricity unit price from the bill or tariff you actually use. The daily standing charge is a separate part of the bill. It is already due for the supply, so leave it out when calculating the extra electricity cost of drying a load. If a display shows an amount in pounds, keep your units consistent. A rate of 26.32p is £0.2632 per kWh. ## Save and understand your calculations Use **Download my calculations** to save a CSV of your current inputs, period-by-period energy and costs, and the weekly, average monthly and yearly totals. The file includes formulas, the three equal-time power comparisons and source references. Each result also has an unrounded value so you can follow the arithmetic. Your figures stay in your browser. The [300 W example sheet]() is also available without the calculator. It uses four hours per session, three sessions per week and 26.32p/kWh. That gives **1.2 kWh and £0.31584 per session**, **£0.94752 per week**, **£49.27104 over 52 weeks** and **£4.10592 per average month**. The displayed budget rounds to 32p, 95p, £49.27 and £4.11 respectively. A planning year uses 52 repetitions of your weekly routine. An average month is that yearly total divided by 12, rather than four weeks. If you use the airer during only part of the year, use the weekly estimate for the number of active weeks. Session hours and weekly frequency must fit within the 168 hours available in a week. ## Turn watts and hours into pence Divide the wattage on the rating plate or manual by 1,000 to get kilowatts. Multiply by the number of hours at that draw to get kilowatt-hours. Multiply the result by the electricity unit rate. **Cost in pence = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × pence per kWh.** For example, a 300 W airer running for four hours at that draw uses **0.30 × 4 = 1.20 kWh**. At 26.32p per kWh, that is **31.6p**. If the same tariff charged 32p per kWh, the same energy would cost **38.4p**. Changing the unit rate changes the price, while the energy used in the example stays at 1.20 kWh. **Estimated electricity cost at constant rated draw and 26.32p per kWh** | Power draw | One hour | Four hours | Eight hours | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 230 W heated rails | 6.1p | 24.2p | 48.4p | | 300 W heated rails | 7.9p | 31.6p | 63.2p | | 850 W warm-air pod | 22.4p | 89.5p | 179.0p | These are equal-time arithmetic examples. They do not prescribe an operating period or show how long a wash will take to dry. Check the manual for operating and supervision requirements, including when a timer is available. ## Put the wattage in context Beldray specifies 230 W for the EH1156, a heated rack with wings. At full draw, each additional hour uses 0.23 kWh. The lower hourly estimate is useful when you know the runtime, but a long session on a lower wattage can use more electricity than a shorter session at a higher wattage. The winged frame also needs enough open floor length to spread the wash. [View on Amazon]() For a low-power winged rack ### Beldray Winged Electric Heated Airer EH1156 Eighteen heated bars sit across the main deck and wings. The airer is rated at 230 W and the frame collapses for storage. Good for A smaller regular load when there is room for a 148 cm-long winged rack. Bear in mind It has one heat setting and a 1.4 m cable. Check the socket position before choosing the drying spot. - 230 W - 12 m rails - 15 kg maximum load The standard Dry:Soon three-tier rack offers a 300 W example with a different rail layout. Lakeland lists 21 m of line and a 15 kg wet-washing limit. The rating is what goes into the arithmetic. The available rail space and how you place clothes on it can affect the runtime. Check whether a cover is included or sold separately and use one only as permitted for the exact appliance. [View on Amazon]() For spreading a mixed wash across three tiers ### Dry:Soon Standard 3-Tier Heated Airer 53179 Lakeland lists a 300 W rating, 21 m of drying line and a 15 kg wet-load limit for the standard three-tier format. The shelves fold for storage. Good for A mixed wash when the full rack fits and you can reach all the tiers. Bear in mind This link is for the standalone standard airer. Check cover compatibility and which accessories come with the chosen listing. Running cost depends on power drawn, runtime and tariff. - 300 W - 21 m drying line - 15 kg wet-load limit JML's DriBUDDi Compact A002318 gives the 850 W example. It is a covered warm-air pod for hanging garments, so it changes both the method and how the laundry fits. The table uses full rated draw for all three powers. The higher figure per hour alone says little about the cost to dry compatible clothes. For the appliances themselves, see [the heated airer comparison](). ## Measure a finished session if you already own the airer A suitable plug-in energy meter can tell you what an appliance used across a session. Only use one if its instructions and the appliance's instructions allow that connection, and check the meter is rated for the appliance. Record the total kWh from the start until you switch the appliance off. Meter readings capture the effect of periods when the appliance is drawing less power, provided you measure over the whole session. Write down what you dried, how it came out of the spin cycle, when you stopped and whether the thickest sections felt dry. A session ending with damp waistbands is a different result from one ending with clothes ready for the cupboard. Keep the drying endpoint similar when comparing equipment, and include any additional powered drying appliance used during the same session. For a simple example, **0.95 kWh × 26.32p = about 25.0p**. If you recorded that use for three similar weekly sessions, the energy would be 2.85 kWh, costing about 75.0p at the example rate. Record your own typical loads before treating a weekly figure as a budget. ## Work with part hours and a changing routine Convert minutes to a fraction of an hour before multiplying. Three hours and 20 minutes is 3⅓ hours. At a constant 300 W that uses 1.00 kWh, so it costs 26.32p at the example rate. Using 3.20 hours would count only 12 minutes beyond the third hour. For a budget, separate the type of washes you actually run. If one load normally takes longer because it contains heavy towels, record that as its own session. Start with a few representative readings before multiplying by the number of loads you do in a month. If you only run the airer during colder weather, count those weeks when estimating annual spending. Meter readings from one light load can give a poor picture of a routine that often includes jeans, bedding or thick cottons. ## Compare tariffs and other drying equipment fairly For time-of-use electricity, split the use across tariff periods. If a session uses 0.6 kWh at 18p and 0.6 kWh at 32p, the totals are 10.8p and 19.2p, adding to 30p. A single average price from the bill can hide that difference. Use whichever drying time and supervision the appliance allows. A tumble dryer can have a much higher draw at times, but a whole cycle and a single hour of airer use measure different things. If you are comparing those options, use the tumble dryer's energy for a comparable programme and load, then compare with the airer's measured use for a similar finish. If you also run a dehumidifier, add its kWh and consider its separate role. See [heated airers versus dehumidifiers]() for that comparison. Start with the simplest way to avoid running extra hours. Give the clothes room on the rails, follow the garment and equipment instructions and check the thick seams before deciding whether the powered session needs to continue. Water released by the washing still needs to leave the room, so plan ventilation as part of the setup. If you also use a drum dryer, the [heated airer vs tumble dryer running costs guide]() compares electricity for similar loads at the same level of dryness. ## Sources and specifications - [Ofgem electricity unit rates and standing charges]() - [Beldray EH1156 rated power]() - [Lakeland Dry:Soon family specifications]() - [JML DriBUDDi Compact A002318 rated power]() - [GOV.UK guide to home ventilation]() ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does a 300 W heated airer cost per hour? At 26.32p per kWh, 300 W costs about 7.9p for an hour at full draw. Multiply 0.30 by the unit rate on your bill to get the estimate for your tariff. ### How much does a heated airer cost for eight hours? At 26.32p per kWh, eight hours at a constant 300 W uses 2.4 kWh and costs about 63.2p. The eight-hour figure is a calculation, and suitable operating time depends on the instructions. ### Do I add the electricity standing charge? For the extra cost of drying one load, use the unit rate. Your supplier normally charges the daily standing charge whether or not you run the airer. ### Does the rated wattage tell me the cost of a full load? It gives an estimate when combined with an assumed runtime and price per unit. To calculate the cost of a completed session, use its actual measured kWh and your tariff. ### Is a heated airer cheaper than a tumble dryer? Compare measured energy for a similar load to the same dryness. The equipment, programme, starting moisture and runtime can change the result. ### Does an off-peak tariff change the calculation? Yes. Multiply the energy used in each price period by that period’s unit rate and add the costs. Check whether using the appliance during that period is practical and permitted by its instructions. **Everyday Garment Care** We research manufacturer instructions and product specifications to explain practical garment care and equipment choices. [Editorial policy]() **Affiliate disclosure.** If you buy through a product link on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. [How our links work]().