Dehumidifiers are a wonderful asset to any home that feels dry or stuffy. Dehumidifiers work to pull moisture from the air to lower the relative humidity and make the environment more comfortable for people. How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier 24 hours a day? It differs from household to household, but this article will do its best to give you an idea of how much a 24/7 dehumidifier will cost you.
Some environments are extremely damp, such as basements, and need a dehumidifier to constantly run to keep the atmosphere comfortable. But you may be concerned about the impact on your electric bill.
Short Answer
The average cost to run a dehumidifier is $2.28 for 24 hours of use.
This is not a definitive price. Some variables change the price for different places and units.
Factors to Consider
There is no final answer to how much it will cost to run a dehumidifier for 24 hours a day because there are varying factors that affect the price. If you understand these factors, you can determine the exact cost for you to run a dehumidifier 24/7.
Dehumidifier Size
Dehumidifiers come in a range of sizes, so the larger the unit, the more likely it is to use more electricity. While the dehumidifier size can end up costing more on your electric bill, it is probably removing more moisture from the air than a smaller unit, especially in a big space.
Dehumidifier Efficiency
Some dehumidifier designs are energy efficient, so they use less electricity but still get the job done.
Some dehumidifiers have Energy Star Certifications, which means they are certified to use less energy than the average dehumidifier. On average, they use %15-20 less energy than a standard dehumidifier.
Energy-efficient dehumidifiers have Energy-efficient dehumidifiers have an IEF (Integrated Energy Factor) or L/kWh, between 1.57 to 1.95, averaging 1.79. Standard dehumidifiers usually average between 1.9 and 2.5 IEF.
Cost of Electricity in Your Area
The cost of electricity differs from state to state and even town to town, so this plays a big part in the final cost of running a dehumidifier 24/7. To figure out the cost of electricity in your area, you can use this formula, or it may be noted explicitly on your electric bill.
Cost to Run a Dehumidifier for 24 Hours
Here’s the average cost per day, week, month, and year.
For One Day
The standard cost to run a 30-pint dehumidifier for 24 hours comes to about $.72 using the national average cost of electricity.
To use a 50-pint dehumidifier, the cost over 24 hours will come to about $1.90. A 50-pint dehumidifier can adjust the relative humidity in a space up to 2000 square feet. This is about the average size dehumidifier used by people that live in medium or small apartments.
A 70-pint dehumidifier is typically the largest residential dehumidifier. These can cost up to $3.84 to run for 24 hours and adjust the humidity of a room around 2,500 square feet or smaller.
For One Week
A 30-pint unit will only cost about $5 to run constantly for an entire week. This is less than most people spend on coffee in a week. And if you’re not a fan of coffee, then consider the fact your dehumidifier is using around the same or less energy than your toaster.
A 50-pint dehumidifier will cost the average American around $13 to run 24 hours a day for seven days in a row.
And a 70-pint dehumidifier will cost between $25 and $28 to run non-stop for a week. If you feel this is getting more expensive than you would like, consider that this is the average cost of dinner from one from UberEats.
For One Month
Running a 30-pint dehumidifier constantly for an entire month will cost you about $20, which is a great deal, in our opinion.
A 50-pint dehumidifier should add a little over $50 to your monthly energy bill. In the grand scheme of things, most people see this as a fair trade for a cool and comfortable atmosphere in their home.
And a 70-pint unit will cost around $100 a month, maybe a dollar or two more.
For One Year
To run a small 30-pint dehumidifier 24/7 for an entire year will cost around $240. Most people don’t think about their energy use by year, but, if you do, this is something to factor into your expenditure.
A 50-pint dehumidifier will use around $600 worth of energy over a year.
And the largest residential dehumidifier, a 70-pint unit, will add about $1,200 to your energy bill. A large unit changes the cost of a dehumidifier, so consider how much space you need to cool down.
Bottom Line
Dehumidifiers are considered a low-energy appliances, like your coffee maker or your ceiling fans, so you won’t see a drastic change in your electric bill. The most a residential dehumidifier should ever cost you is just over $100 a month.
Hopefully, this article has given you a solid idea of what a dehumidifier will cost you in energy so you can have a cool and comfortable home.
FAQ
Is it okay to run my dehumidifier 24 hours a day?
Yes! A quality dehumidifier should be able to run 24 hours a day, every day. If your unit doesn’t seem to handle this well, it may be time to upgrade to a better dehumidifier.
Are dehumidifiers or humidifiers more expensive to run?
There is little difference in the cost of energy use between dehumidifiers and humidifiers. But the harder they need to work to adjust the relative moisture, the more they’ll cost.
So if you are using a humidifier in an extremely dry space, it will use more energy than if you use a dehumidifier in a moderate climate.
What about commercial dehumidifiers?
Commercial dehumidifiers use less energy than residential-sized dehumidifiers. The size of them means they work more efficiently to remove moisture. Therefore they require a slightly lower wattage per hour to run.
Can a dehumidifier lower my utility bill?
Yes, it actually can lower your energy bill. This is not true for every household, but if you tend to use air conditioning a lot to cool down your space, a dehumidifier will likely help do this by lowering the humidity.
When your home feels more comfortable, you won’t turn the air conditioning on as often. Air conditioners use significantly more energy than dehumidifiers and are considered high-energy appliances.