Dry your clothes with free energy from nature
Clothes dryers are power hungry. Use a washing line or rack under a covered verandah, garage or carport, then use a clothes dryer only to finish them off, or if it’s raining.
Choosing a clothes dryer
There are three types of dryer technology to check out – vented, condenser and heat pump. Whichever you go for, make sure it’s powered by our 80% renewable electricity rather than gas.
- Look for more stars. The Energy Rating Label shows which dryers run on less energy, generating fewer emissions.
- Get the right size for your household. As a guide, up to 5kg capacity suits 1-2 people, 5-7kg for 3-4 people, and at least 7kg for 4 or more.
- An auto-sensing feature is really helpful. This tells the dryer to switch off once the clothes are dry, and prevent over drying.
- Always vent to the outside. Only get a vented dryer if you can duct the moisture outside, or it will make your house damp and harder to heat.
A dryer with 10 stars on the Energy Rating Label emits 77% less emissions than a similar dryer with only 1 star.
Get more for less
Reduce the amount of energy it takes to dry your clothes:
- Give clothes a good spin in the washing machine. It takes a lot less energy to spin than to heat.
- Dry clothes outside first. Use the dryer to finish them or as a wet-day back-up.
- Don’t stuff it full. Clothes should be able to tumble to dry properly.
- Dry clothes of similar weight together. Jeans need a lot longer than t-shirts.
- Clean the lint filter after each load. If the screen is blocked, clothes take longer to dry.