How many watts does a clothes dryer use?

Depending on the brand and model, a clothes dryer uses between 1,800 and 5,000 watts, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. On average, dryers use approximately 3,000 watts per hour. Over 4 percent of a household's energy consumption comes from using a clothes dryer.

Based on residential clothes dryers used in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates an annual:

• Consumption of 43 billion kilowatt hours of electricity
• Consumption of 445 million therms of natural gas
• Emissions of 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂)

The EPA predicts advances in dryer technology, including heat pumps, will help make dryers more energy efficient and reduce harmful CO₂ emissions by up to 30 percent.

The best way to save on overall household energy costs is to limit dryer use by hanging clothes to dry.