Dr. Prepare DDH20LF: running cost
The Dr. Prepare DDH20LF is certified by ENERGY STAR at 181 kWh a year, one of the cheaper models in its category to run among dehumidifiers currently certified.
That $34 is priced at 18.8¢/kWh, the average of all 51 state rates this site tracks. Your own state's rate is one click away.
Efficient, or not, for a dehumidifier
Against the category average of 378 kWh/yr, this model uses 52.1% less, ranking 40 of 546 dehumidifiers tracked here for running cost. That average is drawn from all 546 dehumidifiers ENERGY STAR currently certifies, not an outside number, a $37/year gap from this model at the national rate. Full sourcing is in the sourcing notes.
Right next to it on the list
A rank or two either side of the Dr. Prepare DDH20LF: CONCETTA AS-CSJ72XK-4D5WT-OL ($34/yr, 181 kWh/yr), then DUMOS AS-CSJ72XK-4D5WT-OL ($34/yr, 181 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Of the 2 ENERGY STAR certified dehumidifiers Dr. Prepare makes, the DDH20LF costs the most to run, $14/year more than Dr. Prepare's cheapest, the DDH12LA.
Lifespan
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components does not publish a figure for dehumidifiers, so no lifetime cost is shown here rather than a guessed one. The annual and monthly figures above stand on their own.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified dehumidifiers go, $34/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified dehumidifiers before buying.
If you're keeping it
The Dr. Prepare DDH20LF already costs $34/year to run; a repair bill on top of that is the kind of expense a protection plan exists to smooth out.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 181 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. At rank 40 of 546 for running cost, see the dehumidifier category page for the rest of the field, or the guide to how much your state matters.