How Much Does It Cost to Run a Dehumidifier? Watts, Hours and Cost per Day

How we made this guide: picks, prices and specs come from our catalog and the makers' published specs, owner quotes come from customer reviews on our product pages and the guide was drafted with AI help, then checked and edited by Trevor Hall.

A dehumidifier costs its watts divided by 1,000, times the hours it runs, times your electricity rate per kilowatt hour (kWh). For the XPOWER Viking CD-90L at $1,396, listed at 720 watts, that is 0.72 kWh an hour, or about $3.11 for a full 24 hours at 18 cents per kWh (our calculation).

The 18 cents is a round figure close to the average US residential price in the US Energy Information Administration's Electric Power Monthly (Table 5.3, September 2026 edition): 18.31 cents per kWh for July 2026 and 18.19 cents for January to July 2026, both preliminary. Your bill will differ, so swap in your own rate. A unit with a humidistat stops dehumidifying once the room reaches its target, so its compressor runs fewer than 24 hours and the real daily cost lands below the nonstop figure.

What the watts on the label really mean

The wattage on a spec sheet is not always what the machine pulls all day. Makers publish it in different ways, and the difference changes your math.

• The XPOWER CD-90L lists 720 watts and 5.8 A at 115 V. Because 5.8 A x 115 V is about 670 W (our calculation), treat the 720 W figure as the high side rather than a measured average.
• The Ebac AD850E lists a maximum wattage of 880 W at 7.9 A.
• The Abatement Technologies AQUATRAP AT200C lists a maximum power consumption of 1,150 W at 10 A.
• The Ebac DD300 lists 1,400 W at 12.4 A.

Amps matter as much as watts on a job: the DD300 lists 12.4 A and the AT200C 10 A maximum, so check what else shares the circuit before you plug in air movers beside them.

Where a sheet says maximum, treat the result as a worst case. A maximum figure is the most the machine draws, and none of these sheets gives a typical running figure, so we do not invent one. A plug-in watt meter, which many hardware stores sell, reads the true draw on your own machine.

Cost table for four real machines

All figures are our calculation at 18 cents per kWh, from the watts listed above. The month columns assume 30 days nonstop. Rows marked maximum are worst cases, not typical bills.

Your rate changes everything

Electricity rates vary a lot by state and utility. The table below shows the CD-90L running 24 hours at four illustrative rates. These are example rates, not quotes for any state.

If the same machine runs 8 hours a day instead, the usage drops to 5.76 kWh, or about $1.04 a day at 18 cents.

Pints per kWh: how much water you get for the power

Watts alone do not say which machine is more efficient. Pints removed per kWh does, but only when the sheet gives both a rated pint figure with a stated condition and a wattage. Two of our four qualify.

Both pint figures are AHAM, so the comparison is fair on conditions. The AT200C row uses its maximum wattage, so its real figure may be higher. The Ebac AD850E (87 pints a day) and DD300 (69 pints) do not state a rating condition on our sheets, so we leave them out rather than guess. Never compare an AHAM figure with a saturation figure; our sizing guide explains the difference.

Refrigerant or desiccant: what the sheets say

The CD-90L and AT200C are LGR (low grain refrigerant) machines. The DD300 uses a desiccant rotor, and its sheet lists a lowest operating temperature of -4°F. The AD850E, a refrigerant unit, lists 41°F as its lowest, and the AT200C lists 34°F to 100°F. We have no verified source for an energy-per-pint comparison between the two technologies, so we make none. How a dehumidifier works covers the mechanics, and our LGR dehumidifiers and desiccant dehumidifiers collections list what we carry.

How long should a dehumidifier run?

Run it until the room reaches your target, then let the humidistat hold it there. The EPA's guide to mold and moisture advises keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent relative humidity, ideally between 30 and 50 percent. A hygrometer, which is a small and inexpensive meter, tells you where the room sits.

The CD-90L has a built-in humidity control you can set from 30 to 90 percent. XPOWER's manual says the default setting is 30 percent and that the machine will try to match the set level and maintain it. Most rooms take a long time to reach 30 percent, so raise the setting to your target, for example 50 percent, or the machine may run most of the day.

The AD850E lists a humidistat and automatic restart. The DD300 has no built-in humidistat, and on its M setting it runs continuously. Ebac's manual says it has a socket for an external humidistat: with one fitted and the switch on A, the unit switches off as the room's humidity falls and back on as it rises. Without one, check the reading often and switch it off at your target. The DD300 also has an ammeter and an hour counter, so you can read its real current draw and total run hours instead of relying on the 1,400 W figure.

How long does a dehumidifier take to work?

It starts pulling water within minutes, but the room takes much longer to reach its target. An undersized unit runs longer and never catches up, which raises the power bill; check what size dehumidifier you need before you buy. For a wet job, a restoration unit with a higher rated capacity (compare AHAM with AHAM) removes more water per hour in the same conditions, so the room dries sooner and the machine can stop sooner.

How to keep the running cost down

• Size the machine to the space. A unit that is too small runs nonstop.
• Close doors and windows in the room you are drying, so the machine is not pulling in damp air.
• Use a humidistat or a plug-in timer where the machine supports it, and set the target near the EPA range above (the CD-90L ships set to 30 percent).
• Keep the filter and coils clean, as the maker's manual describes. Dehumidifier maintenance covers the steps.
• Drain continuously where the machine allows it. The CD-90L lists a gravity drain or built-in pump with a drain hose, and the AT200C lists a 32 ft drain hose.

How long should a dehumidifier last?

We have no maker-published lifespan for these four machines, so we do not give a number. What the sheets do list is warranty. The Ebac AD850E carries 3 years on the compressor and sealed components and 1 year on other parts. The XPOWER CD-90L and Ebac DD300 list a 1-year limited warranty. A warranty is a coverage period, not a prediction of how long the machine will run.

Choosing by running cost

Browse every dehumidifier we carry, or narrow to industrial dehumidifiers for larger spaces. For mold work, basement mold remediation covers the humidity to hold afterward.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a dehumidifier add to your electric bill?

It depends on watts, hours and your rate. At 18 cents per kWh, a 720 W machine running 24 hours a day for 30 days adds about $93 (our calculation). The 1,400 W DD300 adds about $181 in the same nonstop case.

How much electricity does a dehumidifier use per month?

Multiply the watts by the hours and divide by 1,000. A 720 W machine running nonstop for 30 days uses about 518 kWh (our calculation: 0.72 kW x 24 x 30). The 1,400 W DD300 uses about 1,008 kWh in the same case. A humidistat that stops the machine for part of the day cuts this in proportion.

Is it okay to leave a dehumidifier on 24/7?

Machines with a humidistat are built to cycle on and off to hold a target, so leaving them plugged in is normal use. A machine with no humidistat fitted runs until you stop it. The DD300, for example, runs continuously on its M setting unless an external humidistat is plugged into its socket, so check the room and switch it off at your target. Follow the maker's manual for your model.

How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier for 24 hours?

For the four machines above at 18 cents per kWh, between about $3.11 and $6.05 for a full nonstop day (our calculation). Two of those figures, the AD850E and AT200C, use a maximum wattage, so they are worst cases.

Does a dehumidifier cost more to run than an air conditioner?

Use the same formula for both: watts / 1,000 x hours x your rate, with the watts from each machine's label. A 720 W dehumidifier running nonstop uses 17.28 kWh a day (our calculation). An air conditioner's cost depends on its own label wattage and how long it runs, so compare the two labels rather than a general rule.

What are the downsides of using a dehumidifier?

The main costs are electricity, noise and upkeep. The listed noise levels are 50 dB for the AD850E and 67 dB for the DD300. Filters, coils and drains need regular cleaning, and a machine that is too small runs longer than it should.

Would a dehumidifier help with COPD?

We cannot give medical advice. Talk to your doctor about humidity and breathing conditions. For moisture control alone, the EPA guide above gives the humidity range it recommends for homes.

Related guides

• What Size Dehumidifier Do I Need? Pints per Day, AHAM vs Saturation and a Sizing Chart
• Dehumidifier Maintenance: How to Clean the Filter, Coils, Pump and Drain Line
• How Does a Dehumidifier Work? Refrigerant, LGR and Desiccant Explained