It removes excess moisture from the air, which can help eliminate mould and reduce musty smells in the rooms where you’re drying your laundry.
The cost of buying a dehumidifier upfront may not be especially cheap, but what are the long-term costs of running it?
Additionally, many people might be curious to know if it’s cheaper to run than a heated airer and what the costs are compared to a tumble dryer.
How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?
Data from Uswitch.com suggests an 185W dehumidifier costs 10p per load of laundry it helps to dry (taking approximately two hours).
Depending on the size of your device, this could run even cheaper if you have a small one.
In comparison to a 3kWh per cycle tumble dryer, this sees an enormous saving, with it being 73p cheaper than the 83p cost.
You will make a yearly saving of £75.46 using a dehumidifier in comparison to a tumble dryer in these circumstances.
However, what is the cost compared to a heated airer?
Uswitch.com suggests the dehumidifier still comes out on top here, with a 300W heated airer costing 17p per load of laundry dried.
This is still a massive yearly saving in comparison to using a tumble dryer, with it being £68.89 cheaper in these circumstances.
Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “To save energy and money, many of us dry wet clothes on radiators or airers during the cold months, instead of using a tumble dryer. But this results in lots of moisture being released into your home.
“The moisture can make rooms damp and create condensation on the windows and sometimes walls.
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“Using a dehumidifier can remove excess water from the air, which helps combat condensation and prevent mould growth.
“The average dehumidifier uses 185W, which will cost you around 5p an hour in electricity, or 40p for eight hours.
“Tumble dryers use a lot more energy, with a typical machine consuming 3kWh of energy per load of washing. This would cost you 83p at the current standard tariff rates.”
