TL;DR - A heat pump tumble dryer costs around 54 GBP a year to run against 139 GBP for a condenser, according to Which?, assuming three loads a week. The four models covered here are the Bosch WQG245A0GB (9 kg, 5-year warranty), the Hisense DH3S802BB3 (449 GBP), the Samsung DV90BB7445GES1 (9 kg, strong app) and the Miele TWL780WP (premium, around 1,449 GBP). Which? says all its top-scoring heat pump dryers are by AEG, so price-check that brand too.
Looking at the broader laundry picture? Read the washing machines buying guide for matching your dryer to a washer that hits the right spin speed, and the Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Combo review for the combo alternative.
Running costs are the whole argument for heat pump dryers. Which? measured an average of 54 GBP a year for a heat pump dryer and 139 GBP for a condenser, on the basis of three loads a week. Same laundry, same clothes, a gap of about 85 GBP every year.
The electricity price matters too. From 1 October to 31 December 2026 the Ofgem price cap sets the electricity unit rate at 26.32 p per kWh, up slightly from 26.11 p for July to September. Any fall in that rate shrinks the saving. A rise grows it. Either way, a dryer that uses a third of the electricity is the safer bet.
How Does a Heat Pump Tumble Dryer Actually Work?
A condenser dryer heats room air with an electric element, blows it through the drum to pick up moisture from your clothes, then cools that damp air against a heat exchanger so the water condenses out. The air is reheated and sent round again. Most of the heat that did the drying is lost.
A heat pump dryer adds a refrigerant cycle, the same principle as a fridge. The cold side cools the damp drum air to condense the water out. The hot side reheats the now-dry air and sends it back into the drum. The heat gets recycled instead of thrown away. That's why a heat pump dryer can do the same job on a fraction of the electricity.
The trade-off is time. The drum runs cooler, so water evaporates more slowly and cycles run longer. Which? says heat pump dryers "can take longer to dry clothes", and that's the honest price of the lower bill.
How Much Does a Heat Pump Tumble Dryer Cost to Run in 2026?
Two sets of numbers help here. The first is Which? testing, which gives the broad picture. At three loads a week, a heat pump dryer costs around 54 GBP a year, a condenser 139 GBP and a vented dryer around 140 GBP. The second is the energy label, which gives a per-model annual figure.
Take the labels quoted in Mumsnet's tumble dryer guide. The AEG 7000 SensiDry TR739G4B lists 193 kWh a year. The Bosch Series 8 WRB247C9GB lists 149 kWh, and the Miele T1 EcoSpeed TWH780 WP lists 185 kWh. At 26.32 p per kWh that works out to roughly 51 GBP, 39 GBP and 49 GBP a year. The label's annual figure assumes 160 cycles of the standard cotton programme, so a household that dries more will pay proportionally more.
What does that mean for the extra purchase price? Which? lists heat pump dryers from 279 GBP to 1,449 GBP, with an average of 661 GBP. Condensers average 307 GBP. The premium averages somewhere between 350 and 410 GBP, and at around 85 GBP saved a year, the payback lands in about three years. For a household drying three loads a week, that's a decent return on a machine that should last a decade or more.
Vented dryers cost about the same to run as condensers, but they need a hose to the outside. Most flats and refurbished houses can't take one, so the realistic choice for most buyers is condenser versus heat pump. Heat pump wins on running cost once you dry more than a handful of loads a month.
Which Heat Pump Tumble Dryers Are Worth Considering in the UK in 2026?
Four models cover the main price tiers. Prices below are retailer listings seen in October 2026 and they move often, so treat them as a guide, not a quote. The notes below summarize spec sheets and published reviews.
Bosch WQG245A0GB (9 kg, A+++ rated) - around 750 to 800 GBP
This is the Bosch Series 6 heat pump dryer, and an earlier version of this guide printed the wrong model code. The real one is WQG245A0GB. Bosch's UK page lists a 9 kg capacity, A+++ rating, a self-cleaning condenser, AutoDry sensing, a 61 dB noise figure and a 5-year warranty.
There's a catch. Bosch's UK product page now says the model is no longer available from Bosch directly, so it's a retailer-stock purchase. Retailers have listed it at 749 to 799 GBP, while the related WQG24509GB has appeared at around 599 GBP. The page also notes that Home Connect is not available on this model, so skip it if app control matters.
The case for it is the long warranty and the 9 kg drum. The case against is price: for the same money you can look at AEG, the brand Which? says dominates its heat pump rankings.
Hisense DH3S802BB3 (8 kg, A+++ rated) - 449 GBP
The cheapest credible option in this group. A UK retailer lists the Hisense 3S Series DH3S802BB3 at 449 GBP, reduced from 519 GBP. It has an 8 kg drum, 16 programmes, a Quick Dry 30 programme for light loads, an Auto Dry sensor, WiFi through the ConnectLife app and a reversible door.
The weak spot is the warranty: 2 years at that retailer, against 5 for Bosch. A heat pump dryer holds a compressor and a refrigerant circuit, so a short guarantee deserves a real think. An earlier version of this guide named a different Hisense code, DH3S86A2WBSEUK, which no retailer or Hisense listing turned up, so it has been dropped.
Miele TWL780WP and TWR780WP (9 kg, A+++ rated) - 1,449 GBP and up
Miele sits at the top of the price range, and the numbers explain why most people won't buy one. Currys lists the EcoSpeed TWL780WP at 1,449 GBP, reduced from 1,649 GBP. Miele UK lists the T1 Eco&Steam TWR780WP at 2,479 GBP. Both are 9 kg WiFi-enabled heat pump dryers. Mumsnet's guide gives the T1 EcoSpeed TWH780 WP an annual consumption of 185 kWh and praises it for clothes care.
Earlier versions of this guide called the TWR780WP an 8 kg, 1,099 GBP machine. Neither figure matches Miele's UK listing. Is the premium worth it? Only if you want the finish and the brand, because the running cost on the label (185 kWh) is no better than a 449 GBP Hisense by any large margin. It's a long-ownership purchase, and no spec sheet can prove a 20-year lifespan.
Samsung DV90BB7445GES1 (9 kg, A+++ rated) - 499 to 929 GBP
Samsung's Series 8 is the pick for people who already run SmartThings. A Mumsnet review put it at 499 GBP, with 19 programmes, adjustable dry levels and an estimated 5.76 GBP monthly energy cost. The reviewer found towels came out fluffy and dry within 1 hour 40 minutes for five towels, and valued the app for a garage setup.
Her complaints were practical ones. There's no weight indicator for the 9 kg load, the AI Dry cycle sometimes underestimated the time (a second cycle was needed on a mixed load), and at 63 dB it's above the 60 dB threshold she called quiet. Retailer prices vary hugely: 729 to 929 GBP at some stockists, and some listings show the model as out of stock. Shop around, because the spread is bigger than for any other dryer here.
When Should You Skip a Heat Pump Tumble Dryer?
A few households are better off with something else. If you dry very few loads, the saving won't repay the higher price in any reasonable time. A condenser at 199 to 300 GBP (Which? lists them from 199 GBP) suits a single person who line-dries most of the year. Run the sums at your own load count before you spend.
If you need fast cycles every day, think carefully. Heat pump dryers take longer than condensers by Which?'s own account, so sports kits, work uniforms and school clothes on a tight schedule are where a condenser's speed matters.
And if the machine has to live in an unheated garage, read the manual first. The Samsung model in the Mumsnet review needs at least 5C, and other makers publish their own limits. A heat pump dryer in a freezing room may refuse to run or run poorly.
What About Smart Features?
Most heat pump dryers now ship with WiFi, but the useful list is short.
- End-of-cycle notifications stop loads sitting damp. For a machine in a garage or basement, that's the one feature that earns its keep, and the Samsung reviewer said exactly that about the app.
- Remote start and delay start let you run the cycle on an off-peak tariff if you're on one. Check your tariff's cheap window before you count on the saving.
- Error diagnostics can point at a full tank or blocked filter before you call an engineer.
The rest is marketing. Voice control on a cycle that runs for two hours adds nothing. "AI" cycle suggestions tend to repeat whichever programme you'd have picked anyway, and the Samsung review found that its AI Dry sometimes cut the drying time too short.
Software support is worth a thought, too. Which? notes that Bosch and Miele both commit to 10 years of security updates for their connected appliances, which matters on a dryer you plan to keep for a decade.
How to Make a Heat Pump Dryer Run Even Cheaper
Small habits shave the bill.
Spin the washing harder. The drier clothes go in, the less work the dryer does. Check your washer's top spin speed and use it for loads headed for the dryer.
Use the eco programme for everyday loads. Save the express cycle for the days you really need it, because quick programmes generally trade extra electricity for speed.
Clean the filters. Lint on the filter or the condenser slows drying and wastes electricity. Bosch's self-cleaning condenser exists for precisely this reason, but the fluff filter still needs emptying.
Use cheap electricity. If you're on a time-of-use tariff, the delay-start timer moves the load into the cheap window. Halve the unit rate and you halve the cost per load.
Summary
A heat pump tumble dryer costs about 54 GBP a year to run against 139 GBP for a condenser, based on Which? figures, and the extra purchase price pays back in roughly three years. The Hisense DH3S802BB3 at 449 GBP is the budget route, the Bosch WQG245A0GB brings a 5-year warranty and 9 kg capacity if you can find stock, the Samsung DV90BB7445GES1 suits smart-home households, and the Miele sits at the premium end for people who want a long-term machine and will pay for it. Which? says its top-scoring heat pump dryers are all AEG, so compare those before you buy. Skip washer-dryer combos if you have room for two machines.