Getting laundry dry during the cold, damp months can be a nightmare. Leaving clothes to dry naturally on an airing rack can take forever – I live in a basement flat and there are times when the clothes will have been hanging out for a week or more and still feel damp to the touch, at which point they're also starting to smell musty.
There's also the concern that adding all that extra moisture into the air, at a time of year when having the windows open regularly isn't feasible, will make your home damp, or exacerbate an existing damp problem. I don't have space for a tumble dryer, but if you do, there are the energy costs to worry about.
