Is a heat pump tumble dryer worth the extra cost?

Many EU A-rated heat pump models use roughly 1.5–2.5 kWh per full load — about half a typical condenser at 4–5 kWh. Check the energy label for your exact machine; mixed and partial loads use less absolute kWh but may use more per kg of laundry dried.

When cumulative electricity savings equal the upfront price gap. At €300 more expensive and ~€150/year saved in the example above, break-even is about 2 years. Lower tariff or fewer cycles lengthen it; a very cheap condenser on promotion can push break-even past 5 years.

Vented dryers dump hot air outside and can be cheap to buy but need a hose and often use more kWh than heat pumps. This calculator compares heat pump vs condenser — the two types most common where venting is awkward (flats). If you can vent easily, add vented kWh from the label into the condenser field to compare.

Only for the loads you still machine-dry — towels, bedding, winter jeans. Many households run 150–250 dryer cycles a year even with a line. If you dry fewer than ~80 cycles annually, focus on purchase price; above 200, electricity dominates lifetime cost.