Last night I got my utility bill and Holy Moly, it’s more than double last month’s thanks to a colder-than-normal month and an increase in utility rates. (Hey, Fed, I found your inflation.) Anyway, there has been a lot of interest in my previous musings on the ongoing cost tradeoffs of gas versus electric dryers. Since it’s been a few months, I thought I’d plug in the more recent numbers into a spreadsheet.
The summary: it still makes sense for me to have gas over electric.
Since August, everything’s gone up. Electricity, previously calculated to be $0.06872 per kilowatt-hour (above 600 kWh), is now $0.07145/kWh, or approximately 4% higher. Gas was previously $0.98655 per “therm” (see here), and is now $1.1286/therm, an increase of 14.4%.
Although gas has inflated (ha ha) faster than electricity, for my scenario of 8 loads per week, I break-even in 359 loads versus 323 loads. In the spreadsheet, I assumed a breakeven of less than two years made it compelling to go with gas; otherwise, electricity makes more sense. Please feel free to try your own local rates and numbers.
A new twist for you. I live in the Jensen Beach area of FL, one mi from the ocean. In 2004, in one month’s time, we had hurricanes Jeanne and Francis. Both eyes came ashore within 10 mi of our house. We were without electricity a total of 5 wks combined. I have a 6kw generator which can be, and was, hooked straight to the panel box after both. It was our salvation. It would run everything in the house, without having to alternate breakers, except the central A/C, and the electric clothes dryer. We have LP gas for our range and water heater. Our electric clothes dryer has died after 10 years. You can bet your butt that I am buying a gas dryer, because the generator only has to power the motor to turn the drum. The little bit of difference between the energy cost doesn’t matter to me. P.S. Adelphia cable was the last utility to get back up and running. (over 2 months) After the first couple of weeks, I went and bought a Dish.
Great spread sheet but I noticed there was no cell to account
for the gas dryer’s motor. I used the tested figures (.21kw) from this site:
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/dryers.html
and added cells for that. Also they measured their electric dryer’s power consumption at 4kw for the cycle but the gas btu’s were the same as yours. Otherwise it’s a GREAT tool. Many Thanks :)
Great discussion.
Here in California, the public utilities (SDG&E, SCE, PG&E) have high tiered rates. You need to make sure you are using the right rate. An electric dryer might bump you up to a higher rate or the savings might be less with a gas dryer because you fall to a lower rate.
Gas prices have also fallen over the last few years. New technology, (“fracking”) might even lead to falling gas price.
Currently for PG&E electric rates for most customers rise from $0.1184 to $0.49929 depending on usage level “the tier”.
Gas is about $1.05- $1.07 a therm.