My wife and I have owned a grand total of one clothes dryer in our 20+ years of living together. I don't remember when we bought it exactly, but it's still chugging along.
But using an older model like ours means a few things. For a start, it's terribly inefficient. My dryer has a two star energy rating. Two!
The new 8 kg Electrolux Heat-pump dryer (with the catchy model number of EDH812R7WC) boasts a whopping 10-star rating. According to the specifications, it will consume a measly 98 kWh per year when used once a week.
And looking at the Government's Energy Ratings calculator website, while there are currently 52 different clothes dryers that offer a 10 star rating, the EDH812R7WC is currently the cheapest model to run for 10 years, with a running cost of $554.19.
While the energy efficiency is the key selling point here, there are a few other reasons to consider this model. It is specially designed to be able to dry your woollens and delicate items without damage or shrinkage.
It does this by adjusting the temperature and motion of the stainless-steel drum to tailor the drying cycle to the specific fabric.
When it comes to wool, the dryer is Woolmark Green certified. Now, I had no idea what that meant, but apparently there are some stringent tests and ratings that go on for laundry appliances to be considered Woolmark Green, including shrinkage of less than 6% for a tumble dryer, plus considerations for surface appearance and smooth dry appearance.
Being 2025, you can of course also connect the dryer to your phone via an app for real-time updates and garment care advice.
The new Electrolux 8KG UltimateCare Plus Heat Pump Dryer is available now at Harvey Norman, Bi-Rite, e& S and RetraVision online. Price looks to be about $1,999 RRP, but it's on sale for $1,388 across some of those retailers at the moment.
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Nick Broughall
Nick Broughall
