What a humidifier costs to run in Washington
Washington homes use 106 kWh a year on a humidifier. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $5.52 to $16.20 a year across 22 published Washington plans — a $10.68 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule RLC - Residential Low-Income: Citytime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.45 | −$0.07 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLS-Residential Low-Income: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.45 | −$0.07 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.45 | −$0.07 | 4.4¢ |
| RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35✓ cheapesttiered | $5.52 | — | 5.9¢ |
| Schedule REC - Residential Elderly/Disabled: Citytime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.52 | +$0.00 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.76 | +$0.24 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.76 | +$0.24 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RLT-Residential Low-Income: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.80 | +$0.28 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.80 | +$0.28 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.81 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.81 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $5.81 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $5.81 | +$0.29 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattleflat rate | $14.76 | +$9.24 | 15.3¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Rentonflat rate | $15.00 | +$9.48 | 15.5¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Parkflat rate | $15.95 | +$10.43 | 16.4¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwilaflat rate | $16.08 | +$10.56 | 16.6¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: SeaTacflat rate | $16.20 | +$10.68 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: Burienflat rate | $16.20 | +$10.68 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSH-Residential: Shorelineflat rate | $16.20 | +$10.68 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King Countyflat rate | $16.20 | +$10.68 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Parkflat rate | $16.20 | +$10.68 | 16.7¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $0.72 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $2.16, a $1.44 spread
- Average — cheapest $5.52 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $16.20, a $10.68 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $7.80 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $22.80, a $15.00 spread
What a humidifier costs here
Across 22 plans priced in Washington, a humidifier adds $5.52 to $16.20 a year — $0.46 to $1.35 a month. The median plan puts a humidifier at $16.14 a year.
Cheapest for a humidifier: RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35, Modern Electric Water Company. Dearest: Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Park, City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company).
Those 106 kWh are billed at 5.2¢–15.3¢, against a 16.6¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Washington homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 106 kWh a year across 70 sampled homes that run one, 24% under the national 139 kWh. The middle half spans 14 kWh to 150 kWh, so a humidifier varies by 136 kWh between one household and another.
Portable and whole-home humidifiers. That average covers homes with a humidifier — 17% of homes here.
That makes a humidifier about 1% of the electricity a Washington home uses. The remaining 10,884 kWh is what a humidifier is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
By provider
On each Washington provider's cheapest plan: Modern Electric Water Company, $5.52; City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company), $14.76.
City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company) charges $9.24 a year more than Modern Electric Water Company on RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35 for the same 106 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a humidifier
A household in the lighter quarter runs a humidifier for 14 kWh a year and pays $0.72 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 150 kWh and pays $7.80 — $7.08 more for a humidifier on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Washington, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 22 Washington tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 47.6588, -117.4260.