How do you calculate kibble drying energy cost?

Multiply the dryer's connected load by its runtime to get kWh, then multiply by the electricity rate for total cost, and divide by units dried for cost per unit. A 12 kW dryer running 8 hours at $0.12/kWh uses 96 kWh, costing $11.52, or $0.01152 per unit over 1,000 units.

What is the energy cost per unit for drying kibble?

In the worked example it is $0.01152 per unit. Your figure depends heavily on formula moisture target and throughput, so track it per product rather than assuming one number fits all.

Why use connected load instead of measured power?

Connected load is the nameplate rating and is easy to look up, giving a conservative upper-bound estimate. If you have a submeter, measured draw is more accurate because dryers rarely run at full rated power for the whole cycle.

How can I reduce kibble drying energy cost?

Cut runtime per unit by improving airflow and bed uniformity, recover exhaust heat, and avoid over-drying below target moisture. Since cost scales directly with kWh, shaving runtime or connected load both help proportionally.

Does a higher electricity rate change the per-unit cost proportionally?

Yes. Cost per unit moves linearly with the rate, so a jump from $0.12 to $0.15 per kWh raises the example per-unit cost from $0.01152 to about $0.0144 with everything else fixed.

Should I include gas drying in this?

This calculator handles electric load only. If your dryer's heat comes from gas or steam, add that fuel cost separately; the electrical figure here would then cover only fans, motors and controls.

Pet Food & Animal Nutrition Manufacturing calculator

Kibble drying energy Calculator

Kibble drying energy cost is the electricity spent driving the belt or vertical dryer that pulls kibble down to shelf-stable moisture after extrusion, expressed both as a total and per unit of product. Utilities managers, cost engineers and continuous-improvement teams use it because drying is one of the most energy-hungry steps in dry pet food manufacturing, often rivaling the extruder itself. It matters when you are benchmarking energy per bag, justifying heat-recovery or insulation projects, or understanding why a slow-drying formula costs more to make. Converting connected load and runtime into a clean cost-per-unit lets you compare products and shifts on the same footing.

What this calculator does

Estimate kibble drying energy for pet food and animal nutrition manufacturing using production-ready inputs so teams can budget energy cost, compare equipment settings, or include electricity in the quote.
Use it when kibble drying energy in pet food and animal nutrition manufacturing is up for an upgrade and you want a defensible savings story.
It computes total drying energy cost and cost per unit from the dryer's connected load, its runtime, the electricity rate, and how many units it dries in that window.

Formula used

Total kibble drying energy cost = kibble drying energy connected load × kibble drying energy runtime × blended electricity rate
Energy cost per unit = total energy cost ÷ units processed during runtime

Inputs explained

Dryer connected electrical load:
Dryer runtime for the batch:
Blended electricity rate:
Kibble units dried during runtime:

How to use the result

Use it when benchmarking energy per unit, evaluating a dryer efficiency project, or attributing utility cost to a specific formula or run.
It uses connected load rather than measured draw, so it assumes the dryer runs near full rated power; gas-fired heat and moisture-load differences between formulas are not captured.

Current U.S. benchmarks

As of Apr 2026, industrial electricity averages 8.7 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA), up 5.5% from a year earlier. State averages range widely, so plants should confirm against their own tariff.
Industrial natural gas averages $4.9 per Mcf (EIA, Apr 2026), down 7.7% from a year earlier, with industrial electricity at 8.66 cents per kWh. Process heating and refrigeration budgets track both.
The U.S. has 31,130 food manufacturing establishments employing about 1,707,316 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate kibble drying energy cost? Multiply the dryer's connected load by its runtime to get kWh, then multiply by the electricity rate for total cost, and divide by units dried for cost per unit. A 12 kW dryer running 8 hours at $0.12/kWh uses 96 kWh, costing $11.52, or $0.01152 per unit over 1,000 units.
What is the energy cost per unit for drying kibble? In the worked example it is $0.01152 per unit. Your figure depends heavily on formula moisture target and throughput, so track it per product rather than assuming one number fits all.
Why use connected load instead of measured power? Connected load is the nameplate rating and is easy to look up, giving a conservative upper-bound estimate. If you have a submeter, measured draw is more accurate because dryers rarely run at full rated power for the whole cycle.
How can I reduce kibble drying energy cost? Cut runtime per unit by improving airflow and bed uniformity, recover exhaust heat, and avoid over-drying below target moisture. Since cost scales directly with kWh, shaving runtime or connected load both help proportionally.
Does a higher electricity rate change the per-unit cost proportionally? Yes. Cost per unit moves linearly with the rate, so a jump from $0.12 to $0.15 per kWh raises the example per-unit cost from $0.01152 to about $0.0144 with everything else fixed.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.