If you're looking to cut down on your energy bills, investing in a dehumidifier can be a smart move. In addition to reducing the moisture levels in your home and creating a more comfortable environment, a dehumidifier is also significantly cheaper to run than a tumble dryer.
The solution is simple. I line dry my clothes in a room indoors with a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier is cheaper than a tumble dryer and even costs less to run. Never had any issues and clothes are dried within 24 hrs in most cases.
If you're drying your clothes, it's definitely cheaper to use a dehumidifier instead of a tumble dryer. Your average desiccant dehumidifier – set to laundry mode – uses about 650 watts. Whereas with a tumble dryer, you'll be looking at a whopping 4000 watts.
How long does a dehumidifier take to dry clothes? The exact amount of time will vary a lot, depending on factors like how wet your clothes are and how well ventilated the room is. But a rule of thumb, you should expect clothes to dry in around 4-5 hours.
An example dehumidifier that can extract up to 20 litres a day, with a wattage of 480W would use 0.48 kW every hour. This means that an hour's usage would cost just 12p. In comparison, an example dehumidifier that can extract up to 12 litres a day, with a wattage of 157W (0.157 kW), would cost just under 4p an hour.
If you're now using a portable dehumidifier in your home, it's increasing your energy bills. If yours is a 50-pint dehumidifier and you run it for 8 hours per day, it could cost you up to $40 per month.
The >Energy Saving Trust tells us that a tumble dryer uses roughly 4.5 kWh per cycle on average and that, as of April 2022, the average cost for electricity in the UK is 28.3p per kWh. Working on those averages, a tumble dryer would cost you £1.27 per cycle, or £132.44 a year if you use your tumble dryer twice a week.
So, if you can dry clothes upstairs, in a smaller room that keeps in the heat, this should improve drying time. It also means you can create the perfect atmosphere for the clothes without affecting the rest of the house. Close the door, run the dehumidifier, and keep the window slightly open to reduce humidity.
A dehumidifier makes the external conditions less welcoming to mold; by removing moisture, they reduce the chances of mold growth. An air purifier, however, removes mold spores from the air, making it harder for mold and mildew to create new colonies.
Use desiccants
Without the facilitation of an electrical appliance, desiccants such as silica gel, charcoal, and rock salt can still adsorb some moisture from the air at a slower rate, due to their hygroscopic nature. You can put a basket of charcoal in the room and replace the charcoal once it gets damp.
Your average 9kg vented tumble dryer will use around 5.30 kWh for a full load cycle. Using your dryer two times a week will give you an average annual usage of 636 kWh – which translates to £1.54 for each cycle and £184.44 a year. Your average 9kg condenser tumble dryer will use around 5.2 kWh for a full load cycle.
High humidity levels can make a room feel warmer, even if the temperature is set low. By using a dehumidifier, you can remove excess moisture from the air, which will make it feel cooler and more comfortable. This can help reduce the need for air conditioning and potentially help you save on energy bills.
Heated airers could make a world of difference
They can be placed anywhere to dry clothes quickly and easily and are often cheaper to run than a tumble dryer or having to rely on your heating. Just plug in the airer and it will gently heat up to dry your clothes in a few hours.
Simply leave a bowl of baking soda in a room with excess humidity. The bigger the room, the more baking soda you'll need. Try this tip in smaller spaces first, like a cupboard or wardrobe, to gauge how much you'll need for the moisture in your problem room.
Condenser dryers are moderately priced upfront, but running costs are higher due to the energy required to condense and remove moisture. Heat pump dryers typically come with the highest price point but offer the lowest running costs.
Cons of Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers collect water meaning they need to be regularly emptied. They also need to be regularly cleaned otherwise black mould can start to grow on the machine , which can induce a wide range of health problems including allergic reactions, lung problems and irritation.
A common misconception is that dehumidifiers are expensive to operate because of their high energy requirements. However, there are modern and high-end dehumidifiers that can filter out 12L to 20L of excess humidity while only using 185 watts and 378 watts of power.
Dehumidifiers can indeed aid in drying wet walls. After a flood, leak, or a spell of extreme humidity, damp walls can develop. A dehumidifier removes extra moisture from the air, lowers the humidity, and stimulates evaporation.
Dehumidifiers are a great option for those looking to save money on their electricity bill and have a versatile machine that can be used for multiple purposes. Tumble dryers, while convenient, can be expensive to run and have limited use.
Keep your dehumidifier set to 30-50% to eliminate excess dryness or moisture. Don't leave your dehumidifier facing a wall (this will block the vents & prevent it from doing its job) During winter be careful of having your settings too high or excess use (you could damage your dehumidifier)
So, how long does it really take for a dehumidifier to dry out a room? On average, a dehumidifier takes between 24 to 72 hours. Glenn says this also depends on the room size and the level of moisture within the room.
How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer for an hour? According to Heatable, a 2500W tumble dryer costs about 85p to use for an hour. However, the tumble dryer cost per hour depends on the energy efficiency rating of your tumble dryer and the cost of energy at the time.
A vented tumble dryer will be more cost effective than a condenser in both the purchase and running stages, if you are able to find somewhere to run the hose externally. It will also dry your clothes more quickly than a condenser dryer, as it is not required to spend time converting the hot air into water.