Calculations and Data Sources

Energy cost for clothes drying:

• Electric dryers consume 1079 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year.
  Source: Energy Information Administration (2001 Report)

• Average electricity cost in 2008 was 11.35 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
  Source: Energy Information Administration (US Dept. of Energy)

Calculation: (1079 kWh * 0.1135 dollars/kWh) = $122.47

About $120 per year for electricity!

Energy resources consumed to generate the power:

• The household dryer uses 1079 kWh of electricity for each year.
  Source: Energy Information Administration (2001 Report)
• One ton of coal produces 2460 kWh of electricity.
  Source: HowStuffWorks
• About half of US electricity generation comes from coal.
  Source: Wikipedia

Calculation: (1079 kWh * 1 ton / 2460 kWh * 2000 pounds per ton) = 877.2 pounds

Nearly 900 pounds of coal per year needed to generate this electricity!

Carbon emissions created by the power generation:

• The household dryer uses 1079 kWh of electricity for each year.
  Source: Energy Information Administration (2001 Report)
• Coal power generation emits 2.11 pounds of CO2 per kWh of electricity.
  Source: HowStuffWorks

Calculation: (1079 kWh * 2.11 pounds per kWh) = 2276.7 pounds of CO2

Nearly 2300 pounds of CO2 per year!

Trees needed to offset carbon emissions:

• A mature tree consumes 50 pounds of CO2 in one year.
  Source: Carbonify.com

Calculation: (2276.7 pounds / 50 pounds per tree) = 45.54 trees

Nearly 46 trees are required to offset the CO2 emissions from electric clothes drying by each household, each year.