What the LG DLG3601* costs to run
At 685 kWh/yr, the LG DLG3601*'s ENERGY STAR certification puts it more expensive than most models in its category to run against every other certified clothes dryer.
That $129 is priced at 18.8¢/kWh, the average of all 51 state rates this site tracks. Your own state's rate is one click away.
Efficient, or not, for a clothes dryer
The category average is 572 kWh/yr; this model runs 19.8% above it, ranking 466 of 639 clothes dryers tracked here for running cost. That average is drawn from all 639 clothes dryers ENERGY STAR currently certifies, not an outside number, a $21/year gap from this model at the national rate. Full sourcing is in the sourcing notes.
Right next to it on the list
A rank or two either side of the LG DLG3601*: LG DLG3581* ($129/yr, 685 kWh/yr), then LG DLG6101* ($129/yr, 685 kWh/yr).
Comparing LG's own models
Ranked 92 of LG's 144 certified clothes dryers, this sits between the DLHC1455* ($25/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the WSGX201H*A ($129/yr, its priciest).
LG DLG3601* over 12 years
Over the 12-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the LG DLG3601* costs roughly $1,545 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Is it worth replacing?
At $129/year, this is on the expensive side for a clothes dryer; the cheapest certified model in this category runs about $23/year, worth knowing before buying either the LG DLG3601* or its replacement.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers before buying.
If you're keeping it
A clothes dryer like the LG DLG3601* is a real household expense whether or not it needs replacing yet; a protection plan is one way to budget for a repair rather than a full replacement.
Where this number comes from
Ranked 466 of 639 certified dryers for running cost, the LG DLG3601* is also worth reading with a caveat specific to this category: the methodology page explains why ENERGY STAR's own combined-energy figure for dryers can overstate the electric bill impact of a gas model. The 685 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.