Testing The Cost to Run Dehumidifier [Full Results]

Published by Ahmad Jamal on February 20, 2022 | Last updated on May 15, 2023

You may rarely find someone who’d argue that dehumidifiers aren’t a great pick for houses suffering from high humidity levels.

But fighting that humidity comes at a cost, a cost that you don’t want to pay dearly, therefore, you’ll need to know the exact cost to run dehumidifier, before obtaining one.

It’s known that like any other piece of machinery, dehumidifiers are operated by running electricity, whose price is measured by $ per kWh.

The more electricity the dehumidifier consumes, the higher the price you’re going to have to pay, and vice-versa.

The more energy-saving the dehumidifier is, the better it is cost-wise.

US Department of Energy categorized dehumidifiers under “low electricity expenditure HVAC devices,” but this is compared to the largest of machinery, so it doesn’t mean that they’re not going to cost you if you obtain a larger or older dehumidifier.

In this Cleaners Advisor article, I’ve tested 322 dehumidifier models, for various durations and timings, and tested the amount of energy consumed by each model alone.

Additionally, you’ll find the answers to the main inquiry here: how much does it cost to run dehumidifier? Answers will be on daily basis, monthly basis, and yearly basis.

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Does Age Matter When It Comes to Cost to Run Dehumidifier?

This is a question you should ask yourself before measuring the cost to run dehumidifier, what are the conditions of the dehumidifier?

Is it new? Is it old? Is it worn out? Is the brand reliable?

The thing we can all agree to is that the newer the dehumidifier, the more accurate the process of determining the cost, and vice-versa.

Old worn-out dehumidifiers are known to consume more energy than needed and produce less performance than required.

So, yes, the dehumidifier’s age matters when it comes to the cost to run dehumidifier.

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Basic Information on the Cost to Run Dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers consume electricity, that amount is measured in Watts.

The cost of the consumed electricity is measured in $ per kWh.

The more the dehumidifier consumes electricity, the more it’ll cost you, and vice-versa.

Unlike Refrigerators, Dehumidifiers don’t use electricity all the time.

Dehumidifiers differ in pints, power, size, area coverage, and more criteria, in addition to the aforementioned age and condition.

They also differ in the number of power modes, types of power sources, and favored area of coverage “Garage/bathroom/…”.

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What to Look for Before Knowing How Much It May Cost to Run Dehumidifier?

There are 3 main criteria that need to be checked for each dehumidifier, to be able to measure how much it’ll cost to run dehumidifier inside your house, and they are:

• Dehumidifier Wattage (Measured in W)
• Average Electricity Cost in Your City (Measured in $/ kWh)
• How Long Do You Need to Run It Daily (Measured in Hours)

It’s worth noting that in the US, the electricity cost may vary from one state to another, but the average among all states is around $0.13 /kWh.

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Elephant in the Room: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Dehumidifier?

To be able to measure how much does it cost to run dehumidifier, I’ll take different approaches using the same method.

The approaches will cover the daily cost to run dehumidifier, alongside the monthly and yearly costs as well.

Cost to Run Dehumidifier Daily

Testing the 320+ dehumidifiers’ energy consumption over a period of 33 days, I’ve managed to get a definitive average of 1.55$, running the dehumidifiers for 24 consecutive hours.

The range of cost to run dehumidifier daily has varied from 0.92$, up to 3.43$.

The least consuming were the 30 pint dehumidifier models, as they require less electricity to perform their duties, which means less Watts.

Cost to Run Dehumidifier Monthly

On daily basis, the dehumidifier can consume electricity in an inconsistent way, but not that inconsistent.

Let’s say that if the daily average consumption of electricity is 1.55$, that doesn’t happen every day, it has a 0.1 -+ range of difference from one day to another.

Therefore, I had to test the 320+ machines all month long, and it appeared that the cost to run dehumidifier monthly varies from 27.33$ to 105.87$.

Cost of Running a Dehumidifier 24 7 for a Year

Since it’s too hard and ineffective to carry out a full year of testing for over 300 dehumidifiers, it’s safe to assume that the Cost of Running a Dehumidifier 24 7 won’t be tested that way.

The second best accurate way to test the Cost of Running a Dehumidifier 24 7 is to multiply the monthly cost to run dehumidifier by 12.

This means that the Cost of Running a Dehumidifier 24 7 is between 327.96$ and 1270.44$.

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How Much Does It Cost to Run Dehumidifier That’s Earned the Energy-Star?

Energy-Star dehumidifiers are known to consume less electricity than regular dehumidifiers.

Therefore, it’s safe to say that the cost to run dehumidifier that’s energy-star certified will be less, and the range of the cost will be less as well.

After testing 44 energy-star certified dehumidifiers, the cost to run dehumidifier that’s earned the energy star on monthly basis varied from 22.38$ to 57.33$.

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Tips on How to Reduce the Cost to Run Dehumidifier?

• Choose the Right Dehumidifier Type
• Choose The Suitable Dehumidifier Size
• Pick Energy-Star Certified Dehumidifiers
• Use Natural Moisture Absorbers
• Run the Dehumidifier Efficiently Instead of 24 7
• Find Ways to Reduce Humidity Naturally
• Maintain Your Dehumidifier

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Cost to Run Dehumidifier FAQ

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To Wrap Up

This Table will summarize the article into a detailed and conclusive piece of information.

Cost To Run Dehumidifier	Minimum Cost	Maximum Cost
Per Hour	0.04$	0.15$
Per Day	0.92$	3.43$
Per Month	27.33$	105.87$
Per Year	327.96$	1270.44$