From swapping the oven for an air fryer to finding ways to dry clothes without a tumble dryer, households are making simple changes to cut their energy use. These small switches could add up to significant savings over a year.
If you’re looking for a cheaper way to get through laundry day, a dehumidifier could be worth considering. MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis has previously warned about the cost of running tumble dryers, calling them a “demon appliance” in 2023 and pointing to dehumidifiers as an alternative.
There is an upfront cost of buying one, but running costs can be considerably lower. Some of the dehumidifiers we recommend cost as little as 30p an hour to run, compared with up to £1 an hour for a tumble dryer.
Rather than heating the room, dehumidifiers pull moisture out of the air, helping wet clothes dry more quickly. Running costs vary between models, but the most efficient options can use less than 10p of electricity per hour.
Read more: How much it actually costs to run a dehumidifier, according to experts
“Many dehumidifiers have different wattages – the one I checked out was 200W,” Lewis explained on his podcast, The Martin Lewis Podcast. “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.” So assuming it uses full power the whole time, you’re going to pay roughly 6p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200W, as the current electricity rate (January 2026) is 28p per kilowatt-hour.
In addition to cutting costs, dehumidifiers bring a range of other advantages. They can help relieve allergy symptoms and limit the moisture that fosters bacteria. If your home struggles with condensation, mould or lingering damp smells, adding one of these nifty appliances to your home could have a noticeable impact.
In our review of the best dehumidifiers, four machines with dedicated laundry modes stood out for drying clothes quickly and efficiently. If you’re looking to invest in an energy-efficient and cost-cutting dehumidifier, keep reading to discover the lowdown on our pick of tried-and-tested machines.
Read more: You can stop worrying about damp in your home, thanks to this budget appliance
Dryzone 12l dehumidifier: £149.99, Amazon.co.uk
While our dehumidifier expert, Joanne Lewsley, tested many different models for her review of the best dehumidifiers, she recommends the Dryzone 12l dehumidifier specifically for drying clothes, noting its smart two-in-one solution that “draws moisture from the air while removing dust, pollen, and other airborne irritants with a H13 HEPA filter.”
For drying clothes, she added: “However, by far the best feature is the laundry mode. This speeds up indoor clothes drying to around six hours – and at 4p an hour, that’s much cheaper to run than a tumble dryer. In fact, it’s one of the most energy-efficient models I’ve tested at this size.”
Duux bora smart dehumidifier: £279.99, Duux.co.uk
For larger rooms, she recommends Duux’s smart dehumidifier. It can extract up to 20l of water over 24 hours, which, as Joanne noted, is ideal for homes with severe humidity issues. It works via a smart app, but there are also controls on the appliance itself. Plus, the dehumidifier has a carbon fibre filter that “left the air noticeably fresher” when used in the kitchen, and, crucially, a drying mode for supercharged laundry drying times. Joanne noted its self-cleaning function and auto-shut-off feature, too, and with all this in mind, awarded it full marks.
MeacoDry arete one 20l dual dehumidifier/air purifier: £259.99, Meaco.com
A dehumidifier and air purifier in one compact unit, this is another model that earned top marks from our tester. In her review, she said this was “one of the smartest, most energy-efficient dehumidifiers” she’d tried, with it costing just 3p per hour to run. It works quickly, quietly, and you’ll be able to control it with the Meaco app and Alexa. Plus, its laundry mode meant that garments were drying quickly, and “without any damp smell lingering on” them.
Looking for more energy-efficient household appliances? We’ve rounded up the best dual air fryers
