Resources for the Washington DC area

About
Energy Efficient Dehumidifiers
 

A 40-pint ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifier can save consumers roughly $20 per year. This can add up to $200 or more over the 10 year life of the unit. That's enough to pay for the dehumidifier!

An ENERGY STAR qualified model removes the same amount of moisture as a similarly-sized standard unit, but uses less energy – at least 10 percent less, and in some cases up to 23 percent less.

Dehumidifiers aren't too expensive. Sears has a Kenmore 35 pint model (Sears item #04254351000 Mfr. model #54351) for about $150. It's ENERGY STAR rated. It's a good idea to check the information on the product boxes to figure out how large a unit you need for your home.

Buying a humidistat is also a good idea, so once you've gotten your home's humidity under control in the summer, you don't run the humidifier more than needed.