Some comparison information ( Electric vs Gas )

Cost Per Load - Electric vs. Gas Dryers

--------------------- Electric --------------------Gas-------------------
Energy used------3.3 kWh ----0.22 therm for heat, +0.21 kWh spin drum

Energy rate-------11¢/kWh----$1.42/therm (31.2¢)11¢/kWh (2.3¢)

-----------------------$0.36---------------------$0.34-----------------

The table uses average energy rates; use your actual energy rate for a valid comparison. Electric dryers. Electric use figure from the Multi-housing Laundry Association (MLA). Note that you can't use the label on an electric dryer to figure the amount of energy used, because the heating element isn't on the whole time during the drying cycle. Gas dryers: Electric component from my own measurement of a standard-size Kenmore gas dryer for a 45-minute cycle. Note that the Multi-housing Laundry Association (MLA) gives a higher figure, 0.5 kWh, which results in a 3¢ difference per load. In my test, the load dropped from 325 watts at the start to 260 by the end of the cycle, because as the clothes got drier they got lighter and so it took less energy to spin the drum. Gas cost per load from Lawrence Berkeley Labs. MLA gives 0.17 therm for a gas dryer cycle.

Above information from:
http://michaelbluejay...

How to save money on water heater use
http://michaelbluejay...

How to save electricity on lighting
http://michaelbluejay...

Dave R.

Very nice Dave. Thanks for posting this. I've got a cheaper method though - I use a clothes line

June's Atmos gas bill just arrived this morning - I have to pay the outrageous price of $7.99 in natural gas use. Of course there's the add on for the privilege of having a meter at my house.

The major problem with finding cheaper methods that work to bring the energy bills down is that this also makes the pay back of such things as on demand water heaters much longer than the average time.

Todd

Todd, I have tried to get my wife to use a clothes line but living here in Plano it must be some unwritten law or something. She goes bananas if I hang towels on the fence out back. When we lived in Florida that is all we used was clothes lines and solar water heaters. Dave. R.

Other advantages besides a very low natural gas bill is the little bit of exercise I get out of using the line; also I hate folding but I find when I use the clothes line I fold as I remove the items from the line, then into the house and put them away. Before using the line my clothes would set in the basket for days, sometimes weeks. Finally the best part is that I don't have to worry about wrinkles. Amazingly, all cotton items dry wrinkle free. The only thing in the dryer are permanent press which require the heat to align the plastic fiber in the thread.

By the way, thanks for the excellent write ups on the PV install. You've given me some great ideas and made me think about other options while I do my (hobby) installation.

Have a great weekend.

Todd