This summer our energy auditors spent a good bit of time utilizing the humidity index when reviewing energy consumption data. The index is available for member viewing on the member portal under the “Energy Usage” tab.

High humidity can lead to uncomfortable indoor conditions if the home’s air-conditioning system is oversized, which leads to short-cycling and a failure to remove adequate amounts of moisture from the home.

Increasingly, our energy auditors are finding Tideland members with dehumidifiers located in crawlspaces. For numerous reasons, we are not proponents of such units unless the crawlspace has been properly encapsulated. Minus adequate vapor barriers and proper encapsulation, dehumidifiers are fighting a loosing battle when the outdoor humidity is high. A small 30-pint dehumidifier rated at 300-watts that operates 24-hours a day consumes 7.2 kilowatt hours of electricity. Multiplied over 30 days that would contribute 216 kWh to the monthly electric bill ($26.95).