How much does a dehumidifier cost to run per hour in the UK?

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Short answer: between 2.7p and 19.4p an hour at the Ofgem cap rate of 26.32p per kWh, depending on the model. Most 10 to 12 litre compressor dehumidifiers cost 4p to 5.5p an hour; desiccant models 6p to 19p [calc].

The sum

Cost per hour (pence) = watts ÷ 1,000 × unit rate. A 151 W dehumidifier: 0.151 kWh × 26.32p = 3.97p. The unit rate is the Ofgem price cap for electricity paid by Direct Debit, average for England, Scotland and Wales, from 1 October to 31 December 2026, as published by Ofgem (26.11p from July to September). Your own tariff may differ: the calculator takes your rate.

Every model, cheapest per hour first

45 of our 47 models publish their watts (Princess's 20L and Russell Hobbs's 20L listings at B&Q do not). For EcoAir's desiccant models, the high setting; their low setting is on the calculator.

How we compare: criteria, sources and dates

Three things the hourly figure leaves out

• Hours actually running. The figure is for the compressor or heater running flat out. A humidistat stops it once the room reaches your setting; Ebac goes further and says its Smart Control saves "£80 to £100 per year" against humidistat models (maker's claim).
• Water removed. A cheap hour that removes little water is not cheap. Meaco's tables show its compressor models removing about a third as much at 10°C as at 20°C, for nearly the same watts. See cold rooms.
• The makers' own figures. Meaco prints a cost per hour on its pages at the same 26.32p, so its figures match ours. Pro Breeze prints "costs as little as" figures (7p an hour for the OmniDry 20L) without the rate; at 26.32p, its published 0.27 kWh gives 7.1p.

For a whole night, see should a dehumidifier run all night; for washing, the dehumidifier vs tumble dryer calculator; for choosing a model, the comparison.