Clothes dryer Singapore: ticks, running costs and vouchers

If you are buying a clothes dryer in Singapore, read the energy label before the price tag. Every new household dryer rated up to 10 kg must carry one, the lowest rating a shop may sell is 2 ticks, and only a 5-tick model qualifies for Climate Vouchers, which have covered clothes dryers since 15 April 2026. For an 8 kg dryer, a 5-tick model uses at least 1.2 kWh less per load than any 2-tick model, so the cheaper machine can cost more over its life.

Below, the National Environment Agency's (NEA) tick bands are turned into money, with a comparison you can copy.

What does the energy label on a clothes dryer tell you?

NEA's energy label page (last updated 1 July 2026) says a dryer label shows the tick rating, from 1 (Low) to 5 (Excellent); the annual energy consumption in kWh and annual energy cost, both based on 3 laundry loads a week and 27 cents per kWh; the rated capacity in kilograms; a registration number; and the type, either air-vented or condenser. It adds that actual consumption and cost may vary.

The ticks follow a rule on NEA's tick rating page: energy used per load for each kilogram of rated capacity. NEA sets no 1-tick band for dryers.

• 2 ticks: more than 0.45 kWh, up to 0.55 kWh per kg.
• 3 ticks: more than 0.37 kWh, up to 0.45 kWh per kg.
• 4 ticks: more than 0.30 kWh, up to 0.37 kWh per kg.
• 5 ticks: 0.30 kWh per kg or less.

The table applies to all clothes dryers. NEA's pages do not mention heat-pump dryers, so it is our reading that a heat-pump model sits on the same scale. Nothing above 0.55 kWh per kg may be sold: the minimum standards page (last updated 7 August 2026) caps dryers up to 10 kg at rated capacity × 0.55 kWh per wash. Our guide to minimum energy standards covers other appliances.

How much does a clothes dryer cost to run in Singapore?

For an 8 kg dryer at NEA's 3 loads a week (about 156 loads a year, our arithmetic), the most each rating may use is:

• 2 ticks: 4.4 kWh a load, 686.4 kWh a year, S$185.33 at 27 cents.
• 3 ticks: 3.6 kWh a load, 561.6 kWh a year, S$151.63.
• 4 ticks: 2.96 kWh a load, 461.76 kWh a year, S$124.68.
• 5 ticks: 2.4 kWh a load, 374.4 kWh a year, S$101.09.

These are ceilings, not real models. The gap matters: a 2-tick 8 kg dryer uses more than 3.6 kWh a load and a 5-tick one 2.4 kWh or less, so the 5-tick model saves at least 1.2 kWh a load, or 187.2 kWh and about S$50.54 a year at 27 cents. NEA's tips on buying energy-efficient appliances (last updated 26 August 2026) put it another way: about 6% off utility costs when you switch from a 2-tick to a 5-tick dryer, at 29 cents per kWh before GST, 8 kg and 3 uses a week.

To make it yours, scale by your loads (6 a week doubles every figure) and multiply the label's kWh by your own rate: 27 cents is NEA's comparison figure, not your bill. Our Q4 2026 electricity tariff guide and appliance running cost calculator do the sum.

A worked comparison: is a 5-tick dryer worth the extra price?

Prices and label figures here are illustrative, not real models. The method is NEA's life cycle cost: purchase price plus annual energy cost multiplied by the years you keep the machine.

• Dryer A, 2 ticks, 8 kg: S$650; label 624 kWh a year (4.0 kWh a load), S$168.48 a year at 27 cents.
• Dryer B, 5 ticks, 8 kg: S$1,150; label 351 kWh a year (2.25 kWh a load), S$94.77 a year.

B saves S$73.71 a year, so its extra S$500 takes about 6.8 years to earn back in cash. Over 8 years (our assumption), A costs S$650 + S$1,347.84 = S$1,997.84 and B S$1,150 + S$758.16 = S$1,908.16: B ends S$89.68 ahead.

Add Climate Vouchers. Only B qualifies, so a household with its full S$400 pays S$750 for B, the extra over A falls to S$100 and is earned back in about 1.4 years, and over 8 years B ends S$489.68 ahead. Dry twice a month instead (24 loads a year) and the saving falls to about S$11.34 a year, a payback of more than 40 years without vouchers and nearly 9 years with them; that is why NEA's tips first ask whether you need a dryer at all, since air-drying is free.

Can I use Climate Vouchers for a clothes dryer?

Yes, if it has 5 ticks and you buy from a participating retailer. The eligible products page (last updated 13 July 2026) lists clothes dryers at 5 ticks, the same bar as air-conditioners and water heaters. The FAQ adds the rules that catch people out:

• One set per address: Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents registered and living in HDB flats, and Citizens registered and living in private homes, can claim; everyone at an address shares one S$300 and one S$100 set.
• Up to S$400 in one purchase: your two sets combine, but not with another household's.
• In person: vouchers are scanned at the till, or on delivery for some retailers' online orders, with proof of address.
• No refunds or change: goods bought with vouchers are non-refundable, scanned vouchers are not reinstated, no cash change is given and exchanges depend on the retailer.
• Decide first: NEA and PUB will not reimburse a purchase made without the vouchers.

Our Climate Vouchers shortlist compares the 12 types.

What should I check before buying a dryer?

1. The label, online too. NEA's label page says an advertisement, including on a marketplace, must show a legible label beside the product or, where space is short, the tick rating and registration number.
2. The registration. NEA asks buyers to choose models in its Database of Registered Goods and to report unlabelled or unregistered ones to NEA_energylabel@nea.gov.sg.
3. Size and habits. NEA's tips say to buy a size you need, and its energy saving tips (last updated 19 August 2026) say to dry full loads, spin clothes first, clean the lint filter after every load and use auto-dry instead of the timer.
4. Where the moisture goes. Our suggestion: confirm the type on the label, ask where the damp air or water ends up in your flat and what installation the price includes; see our appliance installation checklist.
5. Second-hand or bought overseas. NEA's regulated goods page (last updated 26 August 2026) covers single-phase dryers "not being second-hand goods" up to 10 kg, so in our reading a used dryer need not carry a label. If you import one yourself, you must register with NEA before importing it and it must meet the minimum standard.
6. The old machine. NEA's e-waste scheme page (last updated 28 September 2026) says a retailer delivering a regulated product must take back one of the same type free, and ALBA has collected large household appliances, dryers included, free from homes since 1 January 2025.

A dehumidifier is not among NEA's regulated goods, so it does not need NEA's energy label; compare models by rated watts in the calculator. For more methods, see the comparing topic and our energy label running-cost guide.

Common questions