5 Most Energy Efficient Dehumidifiers In 2023 (Over 1.67 L/kWh IEF)

“Buy a dehumidifier with the highest integrated energy factor (IEF) for best efficiency.” (Energy Star, Government Of Canada)

Despite coming from Canada, this is the soundest advice about dehumidifiers. Dehumidifiers can run for 24 hours per day. To minimize electricity costs, they better be energy-efficient. In the list below, you will find the 5 most efficient dehumidifiers with the highest integrated energy factor (IEF).

Here’s the deal about energy-efficient dehumidifiers:

Dehumidifiers don’t draw all that much energy. Smaller 20-pint dehumidifiers draw about 300W of power; bigger 50-pint ones (according to the 2019 DOE standard) can draw up to 800W. That’s less electricity than a microwave or a vacuum cleaner.

But:

The mere fact that dehumidifiers usually run all day should make you think twice. The microwave is on for 10 minutes; it draws about 0.2 kWh. An 800W dehumidifier runs for 24h.

In that time it burns through 24h*0.8kW = 19.2 kWh; that’s almost 100x electricity used more than using a microwave for 10 minutes. In electricity dollars, that’s about $2 per day.

“Energy Star-rated dehumidifiers use nearly 15% less energy, on average, than a standard model”, according to the Canadian Energy Star High-Efficiency article.

That means that, in the example above, you would pay $1.7 instead of $2 per day to run a dehumidifier. 0.30$ per day energy savings can turn into $30/summer energy savings just because you picked an Energy Star-rated dehumidifier.

In the list further on, LearnMetrics recommends the most energy-efficient dehumidifiers (all with Energy Star rating), complete with a comparison table of the most efficient dehumidifiers and individual reviews. If you’re in a hurry to remove as much moisture from your indoor air using the minimum amount of electricity, you can jump to the list and comparison here:

Skip To List Of Most Efficient Dehumidifiers In 2023

Before we do look at what dehumidifiers use the least amount of electricity, let us educate ourselves about the important dehumidifier energy-efficiency ratings:

What Is The Most Economical Dehumidifier: Integrated Energy Factor (IEF) Explained

Simply put, the most economic dehumidifier is the one that:

1. Removes the maximum amount of moisture from our indoor air (measured in Liters).
2. Requires the minimal amount of electricity to do it (electricity is measured in kWh; cost per kWh is on average $0.1319).

An integrated energy factor (IEF) is the main metric to determine if a dehumidifier is efficient or not. It is simply a measure of how many liters of water a dehumidifier can remove using 1 kWh of electricity.

IEF is calculated like this:

IEF = Moisture removed (Liters) / Electricity spent (kWh)

Let solve this example: A 50-pint dehumidifier removes 50 pints of water per day (that’s 23.7 L) and requires 20 kWh of electricity to do so. What is the IEF of such a dehumidifier?

IEF of 50-pint dehumidifier = 23.7 L / 20 kWh = 1.185 L/kWh

That means that such a dehumidifier will spend about $0.15 worth of electricity to remove 1 liter (or about 2 pints) of moisture from indoor air. That’s not the most energy-efficient dehumidifier, however.

Energy Star-rated dehumidifiers are capable of removing 1 liter of moisture for less than $0.10, given the average electricity costs. That’s because they can achieve an IEF higher than 1.6 L/kWh.

Let’s look at benchmark IEF numbers; the main thing you can use to tell if the dehumidifier you’re looking at is truly energy-efficient or not.

What Is A Good Integrated Energy Factor For A Dehumidifier? (Above 1.57 L/kWh)

If you check the full list of Energy Star rated dehumidifiers (with over 400 dehumidifier models), you see that:

• The lowest IEF Energy Star rated dehumidifier has 1.57 L/kWh.
• The highest IEF Energy Star rated dehumidifiers – the #1 hOmeLabs Dehumidifiers (20, 35, 50-pint models) – have a 1.90 L/kWh integrated energy factor.

As we know, 1.7 L/kWh IEF models are about 15% more efficient than standard models. With a bit of calculation, we can estimate that a standard dehumidifier has an IEF of about 1.45 L/kWh.

That means that the most energy-efficient (1.9 L/kWh units you will find in the table below) require about 30% less energy to provide the same dehumidification effect.

Here are rough benchmark IEF estimations for dehumidifiers:

• IEF below 1.30 L/kWh; below-average efficient dehumidifiers.
• IEF 1.31-1.56 L/kWh; average efficient dehumidifiers.
• IEF 1.57-1.7 L/kWh; Energy Star rated above-average efficient dehumidifiers.
• IEF 1.7 L/kWh and above; extremely efficient dehumidifiers (most energy-efficient dehumidifiers can reach 1.9 L/kWh IEF).

You can use these numbers to check how energy-efficient a dehumidifier you’re about to buy.

Admittedly, IEF and L/kWh can be harder to understand. That’s why we’ll look at the pure dollar amounts before we check the full list of the most efficient dehumidifiers:

How Much Does It Cost To Run A Dehumidifier (Efficient Vs. Non-Efficient)

To illustrate how costly it might be to run a dehumidifier, let’s look at 4 dehumidifiers with 4 different IEF specifications. We predispose the cost of electricity to be $0.1319 and that we run each of them for 1000 hours at max. fan speed setting. All 3 are 50-pint (or 23.7 L) dehumidifiers.

Low-efficiency dehumidifier with 1.3 L/kWh IEF (Example 1):

As you can see, the difference between average-efficiency and most efficient dehumidifier is about $21.28/year.

Just by choosing the most energy-efficient dehumidifier (with 1.9 L/kWh IEF), you can save more than $200 in 10 years.

Also, be aware that built-in pumps do add extra wattage. However, energy-efficient dehumidifiers are excellent for use in basements:

With all this in mind, let’s look at the most efficient dehumidifiers that generate the biggest electricity savings:

List Of Most Efficient Dehumidifiers (By Integrated Energy Factor)

1. hOmeLabs Dehumidifiers: Best Most Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers (Overall).
2. TOSOT Dehumidifiers: Most Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers For Basement With Pump.
3. Vremi Dehumidifiers: Cheapest Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers.
4. Danby Dehumidifiers: Energy Star Rated Dehumidifiers.
5. MIDEA Dehumidifiers: Quietest Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers.

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1. hOmeLabs Dehumidifiers: Best Most Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers (Overall)

hOmeLabs dehumidifiers are the essence of energy efficiency. They make 4 models – 22 pint, 35 pint, 50 pint, and 50 pint with pump – and all of them at the top of the Energy Star list. Overall, they are magnificently built and durable dehumidifiers with extremely high energy efficiency.

Let’s have a look at the quiet energy-efficient 50-pint hOmeLabs dehumidifier. Its energy efficiency is way above the standard 1.45 L/kWh. In fact, it has the maximum energy-efficiency IEF of 1.9 L/kWh. That means that it is more than 30% more energy-efficient than a standard 50-pint dehumidifier.

In dollar terms, it will save you anywhere from 20$ to 40$ each year. You will also see proportional savings in the 20-pint and 35-pint models.

The 50-pint hOmeLabs can cover up to 4,500 sq ft in theory. Only the ducted whole-house dehumidifiers can truly cover such a big space. However, the hOmeLabs dehumidifier weighs only 40 lbs and can be moved from space to space. You can use it in the bathroom, the basement, dining room, living room, kitchen, and so on, with a full 4,500 sq ft net coverage.

On top of that, you will also find a hOmeLabs 50-pint energy-efficient dehumidifier with a pump. Dehumidifiers with built-in pumps are perfect for basements; the pump enables anti-gravity drainage (continuous drainage doesn’t allow anti-gravity drainage). The 50-pint model also has a 1.8-gallon tank capacity which is way above average.

All in all, hOmeLabs dehumidifiers are the pinnacle of energy efficiency. You can get the big 50-pint hOmeLabs with an incredible 1.9 L/kWh energy efficiency for less than $250:

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2. TOSOT Dehumidifiers: Most Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers For Basement With Pump

TOSOT is a well-known HVAC brand. Their dehumidifiers are the top-of-the-line. The best quality, obviously, is the extremely high energy efficiency. Their 50-pint model with a pump is the most energy-efficient dehumidifier for basements.

Like hOmeLabs, TOSOT also offers a series of efficient models with 22 pint, 35 pint, and 50 pint capacity. They can cover anything from 1,500 sq ft up to 4,500 sq ft spaces. The 50-pint model with a built-in pump weighs 48 lbs; it’s less portable than hOmeLabs units.

However, if you want to reduce the moisture levels in the basement – basements are especially prone to mold infestation – you will need an anti-gravity pump. This pump enables upward drainage, and TOSOT built-in pump dehumidifier still managed to score the highest 1.9 L/kWh integrated energy factor.

On top of that, the inclusion of the pump doesn’t increase the overall wattage draw all that much. What is more, you have the 2.0-gallon tank that has to be less frequently emptied, even if you don’t choose the model with the pump.

Overall, TOSOT produces the most energy-efficient dehumidifier with a pump. It is available for less than $300:

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3. Vremi Dehumidifiers: Cheapest Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers

Vremi dehumidifiers combine all the important things we want to see in dehumidifiers:

• Super energy-efficiency (with 1.9 L/kWh IEF all Vremi are about 30% more energy-efficient than the standard units).
• Great design; they smoothness enrich your interior design.
• The lowest price for extremely high energy-efficient units (about $20 less expensive than other brands).

The fact that they are the cheapest energy-efficient units has earned them the ‘Amazon’s Choice label.

If you’re looking at the costs, you have:

• Minimal unit price for 22 pint, 35 pint and 50 pint models.
• Minimal electricity costs; they can generate electricity savings of up to $40 compared to standard-efficiency units.

Vremi dehumidifiers don’t yet include a model with a built-in pump. As such, they are not recommended to be used in the basement.

In short, if you’re looking for the cheapest energy-efficient dehumidifier, Vremi dehumidifiers are exactly that:

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4. Danby Dehumidifiers: Energy Star Rated Dehumidifiers

Danby dehumidifiers are another good option if you’re looking for Energy Star-rated dehumidifiers. They top the Energy Star list with 1.9 L/kWh IEF energy-efficiency, and any of them will most probably spend less than $100 worth of electricity per season, even if you run them at full speed 24/7 for longer periods of time.

Danby offers 20, 30, and 50 pint models. You may notice that Danby 20 pint model is the smallest energy-efficient dehumidifier; other top efficiency brands start offering models starting at 22-pint dehumidification capacity.

The tank capacity is nothing extraordinary, however. The 50 pint model has a 1.6-gallon tank; that’s more than enough but other high-efficiency dehumidifier brands do offer 1.8 gallons or even 2.0-gallon tanks.

Overall, Danby dehumidifiers are one of the most energy-efficient dehumidifiers available at a very budget-friendly cost:

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5. MIDEA Dehumidifiers: Quietest Energy-Efficient Dehumidifiers

Midea dehumidifiers might not have the top-of-the-top 1.9 L/kWh efficiencies. Instead, they have a 1.7 L/kWh IEF but they have one thing to offer that a lot of dehumidifiers get criticized by:

Silent operation.

Midea units are the quietest energy-efficient dehumidifiers. They can adjust humidity from 35% to 85% (humidistat) and they can do their job at below 51 dB noise levels. If you check our article about the quietest dehumidifiers on the market, you will notice that most dehumidifiers have maximum noise levels above 55 dB.

The combination of high-efficiency and silent operation makes the Midea dehumidifiers one of the most wished-for appliances for lowering indoor relative humidity levels in 2023:

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These are the energy-efficient dehumidifiers 101. If you have more questions about the integrated energy factor or specific units, you can use the comment below.