Define the load before counting loads
A dryer estimate starts with what one load means: known kWh is clearest, measured kWh divided by load count is next, and watts plus cycle length is a fallback. Define that load before turning it into a weekly or monthly estimate, and keep unlike loads out of the same average.
Per-load input ladder
Use known kWh per load before watts and cycle length. Pick the clearest input first, then scale it only after the per-load estimate is clear.
Scroll horizontally to see all columns.
| Input you have | Use it as... | Calculation path | Do not confuse it with... |
|---|---|---|---|
| kWh for one selected load | Best per-load input | kWh x rate | Whole-home billing-period kWh |
| Measured kWh for several loads | Measured period to divide | Measured kWh / measured loads | A single-load value before dividing |
| Watts and cycle length | Fallback estimate | watts / 1000 x cycle hours | Known kWh per load |
| Weekly or monthly load count | Scaling input | Per-load kWh x loads | A full utility bill |
Use known kWh for one selected load
Use this path when a load-level kWh value is available from documentation, a meter, or a clearly selected sample input.
- One-load usage cost: 3.00 kWh x 0.20 currency units per kWh = 0.60 currency units.
Use watts and cycle length only as a fallback
Use this fallback path when you do not have kWh per load. This example uses 3000 W, a 45-minute selected cycle length, and a sample rate of 0.20 currency units per kWh.
- Convert watts to kW: 3000 W / 1000 = 3.00 kW.
- Convert selected cycle length: 45 minutes / 60 = 0.75 hours.
- Estimate kWh per load: 3.00 kW x 0.75 hours = 2.25 kWh.
- Estimate usage cost: 2.25 kWh x 0.20 currency units per kWh = 0.45 currency units.
Scale only after the per-load input is clear
Multiply the selected per-load kWh by the number of similar loads, then apply the rate. Do not scale a whole-home billing-period value as though it were one dryer load.
- Known per-load input: per-load kWh x target loads x rate.
- Measured group: measured kWh / measured loads, then per-load kWh x target loads x rate.
- Fallback calculation: watts / 1000 x selected cycle hours, then multiply only by comparable loads.
If you measured several dryer loads together
If you measured several dryer loads together, divide measured kWh by the number of loads before scaling. For example, 12.50 measured kWh over 5 loads is 2.50 kWh per load. At a sample rate of 0.20 currency units per kWh, that is 0.50 currency units per load.
Use that per-load kWh with the number of comparable loads you expect; the scaling step above is where the target load count belongs.
Do not mix unlike loads
A dryer estimate should say what one load represents before it becomes a weekly or monthly number. Keep towels, bedding, and ordinary clothing separate when they need different drying time or heat.
- Fabric and starting dampness: use the same kind of load when you compare or scale.
- Cycle and drying target: separate a longer high-heat cycle from a shorter regular cycle.
- Per-load basis: use known kWh only after dividing a measured group by its known number of loads.