Do Dehumidifiers Use a Lot of Electricity?
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If you have a recurring problem with dampness or mold within your home, you might have considered investing in a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers are extremely effective at removing excess moisture from the air within your home, in turn preventing any issues associated with mold or dampness.
Dehumidifiers vary in price, from extremely affordable, to pretty extortionate. Most people will weigh up the initial cost of the machine against the projected benefits of using it within the home. But have you also considered the ongoing costs of running a dehumidifier within your home? You may be wondering, “Do dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity?”
Dehumidifiers have a reputation for being pretty expensive to run, but is that accurate?
Here, we’re going to break down how much electricity you’re actually likely to use by installing a dehumidifier in your home. We’ll look at the average energy usage for most models, and then provide a quick calculation you can carry out to work out exactly how energy efficient your chosen model is likely to be.
Let’s start by thinking about why you might need to use a dehumidifier.
| Image | Product | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Top Choice  | Kesnos 70 Pint Dehumidifier
| 9.8 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Value  | hOmeLabs Dehumidifier
| 9.7 | Check Price on Amazon |
 | Honeywell Energy Star Dehumidifier
| 9.5 | Check Price on Amazon |
What Are Dehumidifiers Used For?
Dehumidifiers remove excess moisture from the air within your home. They do this by trapping moisture in an internal fan mechanism. The moisture is then condensed into water, and dry air is emitted back out into your home.
Dehumidifiers are often used in basements, laundry rooms, bathrooms, or any other space that is susceptible to excess moisture or humidity. The dehumidifier works to prevent the growth of mold, mildew, and other potentially harmful bacteria. They improve the overall air quality and reduce the risk of illness or health problems caused by mold and bacteria in the air.
Lots of people choose to run dehumidifiers in their homes for these reasons, but the primary concern for most people who are thinking of installing or purchasing a dehumidifier is the ongoing cost of running the machine on a consistent basis.
Related: The Best Dehumidifier for the Bathroom
Do Dehumidifiers Use a Lot of Electricity?
Dehumidifiers can be expensive to run and some models will use high levels of electricity. This will depend on the model’s size and efficiency levels. Typically, an older, larger model will use considerably more electricity than a new, more compact model. So, if you’re thinking about digging an old machine out of the basement, you might find it’s actually more cost-effective to invest in a newer, more eco-friendly model.
The energy cost of your dehumidifier is based on the machine’s performance per kilowatt. This means how many gallons of water the dehumidifier removes from the home, for every kilowatt of energy used.
A lot of dehumidifiers do have pretty poor energy ratings, and this can have a big impact on your monthly electric bill. It’s important that you choose a model that is efficient and has a high energy star rating if you want to avoid a large monthly bill.
With that being said, a dehumidifier will enable any heating or air conditioning units to work much more efficiently, which could outweigh the costs of running the machine. This will depend on your chosen model and the heating or air conditioning systems installed within your home, but it might be a good idea to keep an eye on both costs to see what works best for you.
Related Reading:
- What’s the Difference Between an Air Purifier and a Humidifier?
- How to Use Essential Oils to Eliminate Smoke Odor
Calculating Your Dehumidifier’s Energy Usage and Cost
To calculate the projected cost per day of running your dehumidifier, there is a simple method you can use.
Start by identifying the watt usage for your chosen model and your current hourly power costs (which can be found on your most recent electric bill). Let’s assume that you’re going to be running the dehumidifier for eight hours per day.
Take the watt usage (which can usually be found somewhere on the machine or manual), times this by 8 (the hours of usage), and then divide this figure by 1,000 and times by your current power cost.
The average power cost for most households is around 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, and the average good-quality dehumidifier will have a watt usage of around 280 kilowatts. So here’s how the calculation would look…
280 x 8 / 1000 x 0.15 = 0.36 per day
At 36 cents per day, you’re looking at around $10.80 per month.
Again, the cost of running your dehumidifier will depend on your own usage, the efficiency of the model you have, and your current power costs. But at $10.80 per month, it seems that dehumidifiers can be used consistently without having too much impact on your monthly bills.
Just be sure to check the energy rating before investing in a new model, and keep your machine well maintained to ensure it is constantly working efficiently and effectively.
Keep in mind that the dehumidifier will run and automatically turn off when the humidity reaches the target level. Typically, it will not be running constantly.
| Image | Product | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Top Choice | Kesnos 70 Pint Dehumidifier
| 9.8 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Value | hOmeLabs Dehumidifier
| 9.7 | Check Price on Amazon |
| Honeywell Energy Star Dehumidifier
| 9.5 | Check Price on Amazon |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to run a dehumidifier constantly?
You can set the target percentage for humidity and the unit will stop running when it reaches that level. It will automatically start running again when the humidity level rises. You can leave it on all the time and it will run as needed.
How long should I leave a dehumidifier on for?
You can leave your dehumidifier on all the time, or you should at least let it run for a few hours per day. This will help to ensure that your home stays at an optimal humidity level and prevents mold from growing.
You may not need to run the dehumidifier during the winter, depending on the humidity in the room.
Are dehumidifiers worth it?
Dehumidifiers are effective at removing excess moisture from the air to prevent mold from growing in your home, but they do use a lot of electricity. You’ll want to keep this extra energy expenditure in mind, but with an efficient dehumidifier, the cost is not bad.
Which dehumidifier is the most efficient?
Look for the Energy Star symbol, which indicates the appliance has met at least 20 power efficiency requirements that are relevant to dehumidifiers and have been tested by an approved third-party testing laboratory.
The most efficient units use about half as much energy as the average unit, so if you’re looking for a low-cost investment in your electric bill, this is where it’s at!
Are dehumidifiers expensive to run?
The cost of running a dehumidifier will depend on the efficiency of the unit, the location (how much humidity is the air), and how long it is running. An energy-efficient unit will typically cost a few dollars per day.
Final Thoughts on Do Dehumidifiers Use a Lot of Electricity?
Dehumidifiers are one of those household items that can be extremely beneficial to help protect your long-term investment of a home by preventing damp areas where mold and mildew can grow in and thrive, leading to damage to not only your property but potentially your health too.
In this article, Do Dehumidifiers Use a Lot of Electricity? we took a look at the concerns that some have regarding the amount of electricity that they use and consequently the expense of running one. The best option when purchasing a dehumidifier would be finding one that is energy efficient or certified, such as Energy Star.