I installed a crawl space dehumidifier about a month and a half ago, and my electric bill has nearly doubled since then. Initially, I was told it would only increase my bill by around $50 a month, but now it's closer to $250! The dehumidifier seems to be working fine, keeping humidity at about 50% and removing moisture, but I seriously can't afford these electric bills. Has anyone faced a similar problem? Any suggestions on how to reduce the operational cost of this dehumidifier? For context, I have a Seaira Global WatchDog NXT85c unit, a crawl space of roughly 3600 cubic feet, and I live in the humid Hampton Roads area of Virginia. I'd really appreciate any help before my next bill comes in!
3 Answers
The NXT85c has a full load amperage (F.L.A) of 5.7 A, so if you're running it 24/7, your bill should only go up about $70 a month. If you're hitting closer to $250, your electric rate must be super high! I suggest getting a watt meter to check the actual power usage. This could help you identify if something else is contributing to the spike in your bill. Also, your settings could be affecting it, especially if you're keeping it on 50% humidity all the time. Maybe try raising the humidity setting?
You might be paying more than 25 cents per kWh with all the fees added in, so it could be reasonable to see those numbers climb. Consider adjusting your humidity settings if possible.
If your AC is running more often, it could be pulling extra power too. Also, think about the weather and how it might be driving up your energy use. Sometimes it isn’t just the dehumidifier but a combination of things adding to the bill.
Yeah, that makes sense. Summer humidity has been brutal lately.
You should definitely look into a tool like Kill A Watt to monitor your energy usage. There could be other devices eating up electricity as well. I built a site called youtilitics.com that helps analyze utility usage data. If your utility company is supported, it might give you great insights!
I’m on Dominion Energy, unfortunately! If you ever cover them, I’d love to try it!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely grab a watt meter to check it out.