Changing a liquid to a gas will always require the same amount of energy all other conditions held constant, it is the laws of physics. When you dry clothes you need to change liquid (water) to water vapor (gas) that is exhausted in most cases, or condensed in others from the dryer. Energy is required to make this happen. The energy may come from the electric lines, gas lines, or the air surrounding the dryer. The idea that a lower heat setting will dry nearly as fast may hold true in some cases. The air entering your dryer from your home may have energy spent on it to condition it. In the summer, with your air cooling on, the air coming into the dryer will be dryer than the clothes, helping to hasten the drying process, but you have spent energy to pre-condition that intake air. In the winter when your heat is on, by raising the temperature of the air inside your home, you lower the relative humidity of the air compared to that of outside. This dryer air will help clothes dry faster, but again, you have spent energy to pre-condition the air. So, while it might seem like a load will dry almost as fast it still takes energy from somewhere to get that water to change into a gas and leave your clothes dry.