Dehumidifier buying guide as experts explain how they can cut down energy bills
Here's everything you need to know about how dehumidifiers save you money and which model is right for your home
by Catherine Addison-Swan · ChronicleLiveDamp is a common issue that many households face in the colder months, as are rising energy bills - but there's one appliance that can help to tackle both problems at once.
Moisture build-up on windows and walls can be particularly prevalent in the winter, when the air outside is cold and dry and the air inside is warm and humid, particularly from things like drying clothes indoors. And high humidity in the home can soon turn into an expensive problem if it is not treated, causing damage to window frames, walls and furniture as well as contributing to damp and mould growth.
Experts recommend that home upgrades such as insulation and double glazing can help to combat the issue of damp - but a more budget-friendly solution worth investing in is a dehumidifier. Here, we break down what experts have said about these appliances, how they can help to save you money, and which models are worth buying.
How will a dehumidifier save you money?
One of the main ways that a dehumidifier can cut your energy bills is by using it in place of a tumble dryer to dry your clothes. With not much opportunity to hang clothes outside in the autumn and winter months, many of us resort to popping our laundry in the tumble dryer - but this is one of the most energy-intensive appliances in the home.
Cutting down your tumble dryer use is an easy way to keep your energy bills down over the colder months - but leaving clothes to air dry indoors can lead to other problems, with the moisture contributing to damp problems. A dehumidifier can eliminate this issue, as well as helping to dry your clothes more quickly.
Speaking on an episode of The Martin Lewis Podcast on BBC Sounds, money saving expert Martin recommended the use of a dehumidifier over a tumble dryer. Explaining how much they cost to run on average, he said: "Many dehumidifiers have different wattages - the one I checked out was 200W.
"Once we know it's 200W and we know a kilowatt is 1,000W, which is how electricity tends to be priced, we know this is a fifth of a kilowatt. And you pay roughly 34p per kilowatt per hour. A fifth is 7p, so you're going to pay roughly 7p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200W, assuming it uses full power the whole time."
Energy costs are slightly down since those calculations, meaning it will only cost about 5.5p an hour now based on 26p unit prices this winter. By contrast, a tumble dryer costs as much as 53p to £1 an hour to run according to energy supplier Utilita, which is 10 to 20 times the amount.
In addition, a dehumidifier can help save you from buying expensive anti-mould cleaning products or paying to repair damage caused by damp. Some models even release warm air, which may enable you to keep your central heating costs down - so while they require an upfront cost, they promise to lead to considerable savings in the long term.
What size dehumidifier do I need?
Dehumidifiers come in a range of different sizes, from as small as 250ml all the way up to 25 litres - but which size is best for your home? According to the experts, this depends on both the size of the room you need it for and the extent of the damp problem you're trying to treat.
The size of a dehumidifier is measured in the volume of water it can extract per day - so for example, if you're shopping for a dehumidifier and see that a model has a size of 5L, this is how much water it can extract from the air within a 24-hour period, AirConCentre explains. However, ProBreeze notes: "Dehumidifier models are tested in ideal drying conditions and not in a real life environment. This means the true rate at which they extract water is probably slower than advertised."
ProBreeze recommends that a mildly damp area of less than 100 square feet may only require a 250ml dehumidifier, while a space of 1,000 square feet with severe damp might need a 20 litre model. Signs that you may have high humidity in your home include condensation on the windows, mildew spots on the walls, and a musty smell in certain rooms.
Which dehumidifier should I buy?
There are thousands of dehumidifier models available to shop, but as outlined above, which type you need depends on your home - as well as your budget. While smaller options will have to be emptied more frequently, they are ideal if you don't have the money to spend on a larger model or if space is limited in your home.
One of the most popular buys on Amazon is the Raofuo 1300ml (1.3L) Dehumidifier, which has a price tag of £55.99 and an average rating of 4.8 out of five stars based on more than 1,000 reviews from shoppers. This appliance is only 40W, meaning it would cost just 21p to run for a full 24 hours, and it has a quiet mode perfect for bedrooms as well as different light settings so it doubles up as an attractive room feature.
The EasyAcc Dehumidifier is one of the top-rated choices on the online retail giant's website, selling in its hundreds over the past month as households prepare to protect their homes in the damp and cold autumn weather. Priced at £47, this compact dehumidifier can be used in any room to remove excess moisture from the air, helping to prevent condensation and mould - you can read more about it here.
If you are prepared to invest in a larger dehumidifier, options that have earned thousands of five-star reviews from Amazon shoppers include the ProBreeze 6L Compressor Dehumidifier, priced at £92.99 or the ProBreeze 12L Dehumidifier at double the size for £144.99.
Over on the high street, the most popular option at Currys is the Russell Hobbs Portable Dehumidifier, which can extract 10 litres of water per day and is priced at £144, closely followed by the Zanussi Portable Dehumidifier for £170 capable of removing 18 litres - perfect if you have a larger home with a considerable damp problem.
And at Argos, Meaco is the brand dominating the bestseller list when it comes to customer-approved dehumidifiers. The Meaco Arete One 12L Dehumidifier and Air Purifier for £190 comes in number one, recommended by 99% of reviewers, followed by the Meaco Dry Arete One 25 Litre Dehumidifier for £315 in second place and the Meaco Dry Arete One 20 Litre Dehumidifier for £175 in third.
Other ways to reduce damp in the home
As well as investing in a dehumidifier, there are several other ways to help combat damp in your home that won't cost you a penny. Here are a few top tips from Restoration UK:
- Air out your home regularly by opening windows
- Make sure air can circulate freely by avoiding putting furniture directly against walls and making sure cupboard aren't overly full
- Check your roof for missing tiles and your guttering for fallen leaves or blockages which can lead to leaks
- Close bathroom doors when having a bath or shower and close kitchen doors when cooking and washing
- Avoid drying clothes on radiators
- Wipe condensation away from windows as it appears
In addition, there are some budget-friendly dehumidifiers that don't use any electricity, and instead rely on moisture absorbing tabs to draw water out of the air. One of the favourites available online and on the high street is the Unibond Aero 360 Moisture Absorber, priced at £11.50 on Amazon - but bear in mind that there will be the ongoing cost of purchasing replacement tabs.
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