Do dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity? This is an important question that you must consider before buying one. The annual operating costs are, after all, as important as your initial investment and the quality of the model you are buying.
Dehumidifiers don't consume a lot of electricity. Hence, you will not get exorbitant utility bills if you install one. If you're a business and need to make sure you know the cost to run even the best commercial dehumidifier, here is a breakdown of the costs involved.
Hourly Operating Cost
The average dehumidifier has a power rating of 280 Watts-hour. Suppose your current utility power costs are running at 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. The cost of running a dehumidifier turns out to be 0.280 x 15 = 4.2 cents per hour. A dehumidifier is, therefore, not too expensive to run.
Daily and Monthly Utility Cost
If you turn the dehumidifier on for 12 hours each day, then the daily cost will be 4.2 x 12 = 50.5 cents per day or just about half a dollar for daily use.
The monthly expense of the dehumidifier is just over $15 each day. This is not a high price to pay for fresh and salubrious air that is free from mold, mildew, and other toxins that result from high humidity. $15 per month is a nominal cost compared to the comfort you will get with optimal humidity during the sweltering and stifling summer months.
Energy Efficient Models
If you want to reduce your electricity costs further, you can get a dehumidifier with the Energy-Star emblem.
On average, larger dehumidifiers tend to be more energy-efficient than dehumidifiers with a small capacity. However, this does not necessarily mean that you should go for the biggest model that you can find. You should instead look for a dehumidifier that will work optimally in the dimensions of the space where you are installing it.
What You Should Consider Before Purchasing a Dehumidifier
The operating cost of a dehumidifier will depend on the size of the room where it will be installed as well as the humidity levels. The utility cost of running a dehumidifier will also depend a lot on how long you need to keep it running each day as well as the utility costs of your power company. Another important factor to consider is the average temperature level of the room where you are installing the dehumidifier.
Energy Star Website
You should pay a visit to the Energy Star website to have a look at dehumidifier models that use less electricity. Some energy-efficient dehumidifiers use around 10 to 20 percent less energy as compared to average models.
Same Price, More Benefits
The best part is that these models don't necessarily have a substantially higher cost than their less energy-efficient counterparts.
Of course, you should also consider other important factors like noise levels and customer reviews before finalizing your purchase.