How much does a dehumidifier cost to run?
At the current price cap, a dehumidifier costs about 31.6p per day (6 hours), or around £115.28 a year with typical use.
Dehumidifier (compressor)
- An hour
- 5.3p
- A day used
- 31.6p
- A week
- £2.21
- A month
- £9.61
- Energy a year
- 438 kWh
200 W for 6 hours a day, every day, at 26.32p per kWh.
Excludes the daily standing charge, which you pay whatever you use.
How it compares
Yearly cost with typical use, at your unit rate.
Dehumidifier running costs
At 26.32p per kWh, with typical use of 6 hours a day, every day.
| Period | Energy | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Per day (6 hours) | 1.2 kWh | 31.6p |
| Per week | 8.4 kWh | £2.21 |
| Per month | 36.5 kWh | £9.61 |
| Per year | 438 kWh | £115.28 |
How the cost varies
150 W compressor models to 650 W desiccant models, for 6 hours.
| Energy use | Per day (6 hours) | Per year (typical use) |
|---|---|---|
| Lower | 23.7p | £86.46 |
| Typical | 31.6p | £115.28 |
| Higher | £1.03 | £374.67 |
Laundry appliances compared
Yearly cost with typical use, at 26.32p per kWh.
| Appliance | Per hour | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Tumble dryer (vented) | 63.2p | £148.22 |
| Dehumidifier (compressor) (this page) | 5.3p | £115.28 |
| Tumble dryer (heat pump) | 18.4p | £72.05 |
| Washing machine (40°C) | 15.8p | £49.41 |
| Heated clothes airer | 7.9p | £49.41 |
| Iron | 63.2p | £16.47 |
Ways to spend less
- Compressor dehumidifiers use less power in warm rooms; desiccant ones work better in cold garages and unheated rooms.
- Use the humidistat setting so it switches off once the air is dry enough, around 50 to 60% humidity.
- Drying clothes next to a dehumidifier is often cheaper than using a tumble dryer.
How we calculate this
We take a typical dehumidifier at 200 watts (an average, as it switches on and off while running), used 6 hours a day, every day, and multiply the energy it uses by the Ofgem price cap unit rate of 26.32p per kWh.
One day (6 hours) uses about 1.2 kWh. Use the calculator above with your own appliance’s power and how you use it for a closer figure.
Questions people ask
How much does a dehumidifier cost to run a year?
With typical use (6 hours a day, every day), about £115.28 a year at the current price cap, or £9.61 a month.
Do dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity?
Not much. A compressor dehumidifier uses about 150 to 300 W, so six hours costs well under a pound a day. Desiccant models use more.
Is a dehumidifier cheaper than a tumble dryer for drying clothes?
Usually, yes. A few hours of a dehumidifier uses far less energy than a load in a vented tumble dryer.
Does this include the standing charge?
No. The standing charge (54.83p a day under the current cap, about £200.13 a year) is a fixed daily cost for being connected. It does not change with how much you use any appliance.
Related calculators
- Washing machine running costCosts per use and per year.
- Vented tumble dryer running costCosts per use and per year.
- Heat pump tumble dryer running costCosts per use and per year.
- Heated clothes airer running costCosts per use and per year.
- Appliance running cost calculatorCompare any appliance, at your own rate.
- Energy bill calculatorYour whole yearly bill at the price cap.