How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?
About $33.17 a month on the typical usage below, at the U.S. average $0.1816/kWh. Set your own rate and usage and the figure updates instantly.
A dehumidifier draws ~300–800W and often runs many hours a day in a damp basement.
Running a dehumidifier at 500W running 50% of 24 h costs about
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A dehumidifier is a surprise on a lot of bills because it runs quietly for long stretches — often half the day or more in a damp basement through summer. At a few hundred watts for ten or twelve hours, it can rival appliances people worry about far more.
The cost is almost entirely about run hours, which are driven by how humid the space is and how low you set the target.
What drives the cost of running a dehumidifier
- It runs until the room hits the target humidity, so a damp space means long hours.
- A lower humidity setpoint makes it run much longer.
- An old or undersized unit cycles more to keep up.
How to cut it
- Set the target to 50% rather than chasing 40% — it'll run far fewer hours.
- Fix the source of the damp (drainage, a leak) so it isn't fighting a losing battle.
- Empty/clean it and pick a right-sized unit so it isn't running constantly.
- An Energy Star model pulls noticeably fewer watts for the same water removed.
Data basis
- Electricity price
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B, June 2026 year to date, released 2026-08-26. Retrieved 2026-09-11. Average residential revenue per kWh. A benchmark average, not a utility tariff — it excludes the fixed charges, tiers, time-of-use windows, taxes and fuel adjustments on a real bill.
- Appliance energy
- A representative running power for a dehumidifier, compiled from published manufacturer specifications and public appliance-energy guidance, and presented as a typical figure with the usual range shown above. It is not a measurement of your unit, and we do not claim a single primary source for it — the nameplate on your appliance, or an hour with a plug-in energy meter, beats any typical figure we can publish.
- Usage model
- Cycling load — 500W running 50% of 24 h
- International prices
- rounded typical household tariffs for each market, in that market's own currency unless the row says US$ equivalent. These are planning benchmarks with no single primary source; enter the per-kWh price from your own bill for an accurate figure.
- Last reviewed
- 20 August 2026. Next scheduled review 20 February 2027.
- Corrections
- Think a figure is wrong? Tell us at corrections@watt-dollar.com and see our corrections policy.
What different sizes of dehumidifier draw
The typical figure above is a middle-of-the-road unit. Since a dehumidifier is sold by removal capacity (pints/day), here's the running power to expect across the common sizes — set the wattage to match yours for an exact cost.
| Removal capacity | Typical running power | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 20-pint | 280W | small bedroom or bathroom, mild dampness |
| 30-pint | 350W | single damp room or small apartment |
| 50-pint | 550W | damp basement or larger living area |
| 70-pint | 700W | wet basement or whole-house / high-humidity |
Common questions
How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier per month?
On the assumption shown above — 500W running 50% of 24 h — a dehumidifier costs about $33.17 a month, or $398 a year, at $0.1816/kWh. That price is the U.S. average; set your own rate and usage above and the figure updates.
How is that worked out?
Running power x hours connected x the share of that time the motor actually runs. At 500W running 50% of 24 h that is 6.00 kWh a day, which at $0.1816/kWh costs $1.09 a day.
How can I cut the cost of running a dehumidifier?
Set the target to 50% rather than chasing 40% — it'll run far fewer hours. As a worked example: getting the run share down from 50% to 40% takes it from $398 to $318 a year, about $79.54 less.
Do I really pay that every year?
Only if you run it every day. Most people don't: over a typical 150-day humid months the same usage comes to about $163. The annual figure assumes daily use all year.