How much energy is actually used by the electric clothes dryer?
Six to ten percent of residential energy use goes towards the electric dryer. If Americans, or even just New Englanders, would use the clothesline or wooden drying racks, the savings would be enough to close several power plants. The 5.8% of residential electricity use number is way off as a measure of energy used by drying clothes in an appliance. It does not take into account the millions of Americans who do their wash at commercial Laundromats or gas dryers.
