The short answer
A 2021 Minnesota field study reports 2.54 kWh per laundry load for Site 9’s existing dryer and 2.05 kWh for its hybrid heat-pump replacement. Using those rounded measured averages with an assumed three loads/week and $0.20/kWh gives $15.29/year in projected electricity savings. The measurements belong to the study’s researchers; the tariff, routine and costs are Watt & Home scenarios.
Where the measurements come from
Slipstream, the Center for Energy and Environment and Evergreen Economics prepared a July 2021 report for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Their 11-home study used appliance-circuit metering. Appendix B identifies eGauge EG4115 monitors, normally recording at one-minute intervals.
Watt & Home has analyzed the published results. We did not operate the appliances or collect the readings. Follow the original report for the research and its limitations.
The observed household comparison
Table 6, printed page 42, gives these measured averages for Site 9:
| Appliance in the household | Reported energy per laundry load |
|---|---|
| Existing conventional dryer | 2.54 kWh |
| Replacement hybrid heat-pump dryer | 2.05 kWh |
| Difference | 0.49 kWh |
The report identifies the existing model as LG DLE2514W in Table 12. A laundry load can include follow-up drying runs; these figures are not the energy of one standardized programme.
These are published averages, not raw start/end counters. We do not reconstruct missing readings, individual settings or an annual meter total from them.
Turn the measured average into a cost scenario
Choose an illustrative three laundry loads each week, 52 weeks and $0.20/kWh. These are assumptions for this calculation, not the household’s reported tariff or routine, and not a current US average rate.
3 × 52 = 156 modeled loads/year. Multiply each reported average by 156, then by the entered price:
| Projected result | Existing dryer | Hybrid heat-pump dryer |
|---|---|---|
| Energy per modeled year | 396.24 kWh | 319.80 kWh |
| Electricity per modeled year | $79.25 | $63.96 |
| Electricity per modeled month, annual cost ÷ 12 | $6.60 | $5.33 |
The projected difference is 76.44 kWh/year. Its cost is 76.44 × $0.20 = $15.288/year, displayed as $15.29. Keep unrounded quantities for subsequent arithmetic. Every result in this table is a projection from the sampled averages; it is not an annual observation.
At the same routine, an assumed $0.10/kWh gives $7.64/year in savings; $0.40/kWh gives $30.58/year. Doubling the routine doubles the projection only if the same energy-per-load assumption still fits.
Check replacement payback against the full outlay
Suppose the existing appliance still works and replacement has an illustrative $500 net upfront cost, including any installation, collection and confirmed credits. This is a hypothetical total, not a quoted price for the tested appliance.
$500 ÷ $15.288/year = about 32.7 years of simple electricity-savings payback. That is an arithmetic result, not an appliance-life prediction.
Over five modeled years, keeping the appliance costs $396.24 in electricity. Replacing it costs $819.80, including the $500 outlay. Replacement is $423.56 more expensive under those assumptions. Repairs, future tariffs, failure, financing and resale are excluded. A broken appliance requires a different comparison.
Load these assumptions below into the replacement calculator. It uses the projected annual inputs of 396.24 and 319.80 kWh, so there is no need to relabel a laundry load as a single machine programme. Replace the costs, routine and compatible energy estimates for your decision.
Put this household result in context
Among the other functioning installations, the report found savings ranging from −12% to +40%. One malfunctioning replacement was excluded from its aggregate average. Site 9 therefore illustrates a calculation, not a universal saving or a ranking of today’s dryers.
Keep the age of the research, model, task and measurement boundary with any reused value. This historical US observation does not establish performance for a current European model or verify an energy label. For a purchase, compare exact model documents and confirmed prices.
Build a case study from your own appliance
Use the measurement guide’s blank worksheet or the measurement journal to retain actual starting and ending kWh, dates, completed tasks, settings and conditions. Repeat comparable observations and keep different programmes separate.
Retain the original readings or photographs and identify the observer. Then publish the observation table before any tariff or annual-routine scenario. Remove private account and address details before sharing. A suitable whole-task or complete-day measurement gives readers a traceable starting point; its annual projection still depends on the routine you choose.