---
title: "Heated airer running costs | Home Comfort Lab"
description: "What heated clothes airers cost per hour and per load at the current price cap, and how that compares with a tumble dryer."
url: https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/heated-airer-running-costs/
---

# Heated airer running costs

What heated clothes airers cost per hour and per load at the current price cap, and how that compares with a tumble dryer.

By [Pete Harvey](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/about/), editor. Updated 14 October 2026.

This page links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. [More about how this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/).

> **The short answer**
>
> A typical three-tier heated airer at 300W costs 7.9p an hour, or 39p for a five-hour load. The cheapest in our list to run is the Homefront Slimline Electric Clothes Airer at 2.4p an hour, though it holds less.

Costs use **26.32p per kWh**, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own tariff may differ. [How we calculate](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/how-we-calculate/).

Heated airer running costs by model

| Model | Type | Rails | Holds | Power | Per hour | Per 5-hour load | Link |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homefront Slimline Electric Clothes Airer | Compact | Not stated | Not stated | 90W | 2.4p | 12p | [Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/ha-mini-a/) |
| Status 230W Winged Heated Airer | Winged | 20 | 15kg | 230W | 6.1p | 30p | [Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/ha-wing-a/) |
| BLACK+DECKER 63091 3-Tier Heated Airer with Cover | Three-tier | 30 | 15kg | 300W | 7.9p | 39p | [Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/ha-tier-a/) |
| BLACK+DECKER 63099 3-Tier Heated Airer | Three-tier | Not stated | 15kg | 300W | 7.9p | 39p | [Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/ha-tier-b/) |
| DrySoon Heated Drying Pod | Drying pod | Not stated | 10kg | 1kW | 26p | £1.32 | [Amazon](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/go/ha-dryer-a/) |

## How long a load takes

Drying time depends on the fabric, how full the airer is, and the room. Five hours is a middle figure for a mixed load on an uncovered airer; thin cotton can be done in two or three, towels and jeans can take longer. A cover traps the heat around the clothes and usually shortens the time. A drying pod is fully covered and far more powerful, so it should need fewer hours, and its per-load figure in the table is likely to be an overestimate.

## Heated airer or tumble dryer?

A heated airer uses far less power than a tumble dryer, but it runs for much longer. To compare, find your tumble dryer's energy use per cycle in kWh on its energy label or in the manual, and multiply it by 26.32p. Then compare that with the per-load figure above.

> **It still puts water in the air**
>
> Unlike a vented or condenser tumble dryer, a heated airer releases all the water from your washing into the room. Put it in a room with a window open a crack or a dehumidifier running. [Drying clothes indoors without damp](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dry-clothes-indoors-without-damp/).

## Read next

- [Best heated airer](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/best-heated-airer/) (Buying guide)
  How heated airers differ, what they cost to run, and which suit small flats, big families and drying fast.
- [How to dry clothes indoors without causing damp](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dry-clothes-indoors-without-damp/) (How to)
  A load of washing releases litres of water into the air. How to dry clothes inside without wet walls or mould.
- [Appliance running cost calculator](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/running-cost-calculator/) (Calculator)
  Find out what any electric appliance costs per hour, day, month and winter at the current UK price cap.
- [Electric blanket and heated throw running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/electric-blanket-running-costs/) (Running costs)
  What electric blankets and heated throws cost per hour, per month and per winter at the current price cap.

---

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to shops are marked, and earning from them never decides what we recommend. [How this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/).

Running costs use 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026.