The Ecological Argument
Rotaire Dryline - natural drying for the 21st Century without wasting energy
"Of course, the best drier is still a washing line if you have space for one!"
National Energy Foundation 2006
As a Green Party Councillor I understand the value of the saving of about 1000kwH per year per tumble drier across Europe, where tumble drier ownership is about 53% of households. In the US it is even higher! Malcolm Victory, inventor of the Dryline
If washing is not able to dry naturally outdoors, energy must be applied to it, even if passively, as in the case of washing draped indoors over racks, banisters and chair backs. Room heaters will have to be set higher in order to compensate for the dampness in the air and the drying effect. In the case of tumble driers the cost can be calculated as follows:
| Clothes Dryer (per month) |
3-5kW |
6 - 28 Hours |
30-140kWH |
| Clothes Dryer (per year) |
3-5kW |
72 - 336 Hours |
360 - 1680kWH |
Clothes Dryer (per year) - 72-336 Hrs @ 12p* per kWH = £43.20-£201.60*
*2007 figures. Note energy prices have increased and will continue to do so.
Energy Efficiency Research Association
Although figures have to be approximate due to the variables involved, across the UK, tumble dryers account for 10,600 million kwH of electricity creating 4.56 million tonnes of CO2. This assumes an electricity generation mix of 400g CO2/kWh. Across the EU 15 (using statistics from EMA) ownership runs at 40-60% over a population of 96 million households consuming 77 billion kwH and 33 million tonnes of CO2.
Energy Use in UK and EU Households for washing appliance
According to research carried out by the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute (ECI) in 1997, the average UK washing machine is used for 270 wash-cycles a year.
Each tumble drier consumes between 360 and 1680 kwH per year. (EERA figures) In the UK alone we use £800 million worth of electricity on washing applances. This equates to 96.38 million kwH and 414 thousand tonnes of CO2. Washing machines contribute 39.5%, tumble driers 35.4% and dishwashers 25.1%. On these assumptions, tumble driers in the UK consume 34.1 million kwH of energy, producing 1.75 million tonnes of CO2 (using the generally accepted figure of 0.43Kg CO2 per KwH).
source: climate care.org
However, these figures are misleading
1680 kwH = 0.72 tonnes CO2
THEREFORE:
34.1 million kwh = 14,663 tonnes CO2, not 1.75 million tonnes CO2
HOWEVER:
53% of UK households own a tumble dryer (source: National Statistics 2004)
| UK households |
|
= |
|
25,000,000 |
| 53% |
|
= |
|
13,250,000 |
| 800kwH/year |
|
= |
|
10,600,000,000 kwH/yr (average of EERA figures) |
| x0.43 Kg CO2 |
|
= |
|
4,558,000 tonnes CO2 |
THEREFORE UK TUMBLE DRIERS EMIT 5 MILLION TONNES OF CO2 (to 1 significant figure) FROM ELECTRICITY GENERATION AND USE.
Taken across the EU and assuming 40% ownership (low estimate in a growing market) the resulting figure for the EU 15 (excluding less developed partners) is 1,738,400,000,000,000 kwH and 74.6 million tonnes of CO2. Naturally one cannot assume total replacement of tumble driers, but EVEN A 1% MARKET PENETRATION WOULD YIELD A SAVING OF 17 TRILLION KWH AND A MILLION TONNES OF CO2.
UK Ownership of Tumble Dryers
90% of homes in the UK have a washing machine, 35 per cent have a tumble dryer and one in four have a dishwasher. We use £800 million worth of electricity by using washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers. This produces five million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The average washing machine is used for 274 cycles a year; a dishwasher for 250 cycles and a tumble dryer 148 times.
Source: Broxbourne Council
Drying clothes in tumble driers increases in European countries considerably. In 2005, 4.9 Millions tumble driers for residential use were sold in the EU. Strong differences exist between Western Europe (4.84 Millions) and Eastern Europe (0.06 Millions) as well as between Northern and Southern countries.
source: EMA_E Business Intelligence estimation)
In 2001 55 percent of all households had a tumble dryer and 95 percent had a washing machine. Ownership of tumble dryers doubled every ten years. In 1981 only 13 percent of households had a drier. By 1991 this had increased to 27 percent, and in 2001 to 55 percent.
source, Netherlands Statistical Office
