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How much does it cost to run a dehumidifier?

At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a dehumidifier costs about $98.06 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.

Assumption: 500 W at a 60% duty cycle, 12 hours a day, 150 days a year — 540 kWh a year. A 50-pint basement unit. Runtime is driven by humidity, not by a clock, so a damp basement can push the duty cycle near 1.0.

Cost by state

Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.

Cutting the number down

• Fixing the water source — grading, gutters, a sealed crawlspace — retires the running cost entirely instead of paying it every summer.
• Setting the humidistat to 50% instead of 35% cuts runtime sharply with no comfort or mold-risk penalty.
• The heat a dehumidifier dumps into the room is a bonus in a basement and a cost upstairs in July.

Questions

How many watts does a dehumidifier use?

About 500 W while running, though it cycles on and off, so average draw is 300 W.

How much does a dehumidifier cost per month?

About $8.17 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $98.06 a year.

Where is it cheapest to run?

Nevada, at $68.69 a year, versus $255 in Hawaii — a spread of $186.