--- title: "Home Comfort Lab: damp, heating and keeping cool in UK homes" description: "Plain answers on damp, mould, heating and keeping cool in UK homes, with calculators and running costs at the current energy price cap." url: https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/ --- # Keep your home warm, dry and cool for less Straight answers for UK homes on condensation, mould and damp walls, and on what it really costs to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. Every running cost uses the current energy price cap. [What size dehumidifier do I need?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/dehumidifier-size-calculator/) [Damp guides](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/) *This part of the page is an interactive tool. Open https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/ in a browser to use it.* ![A house cutaway with a misty bedroom window, a steamy bathroom with mould, a cosy living room and a fan-cooled loft.](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/images/scenes/home.svg) ## What’s happening in your home? - [My windows are wet every morning](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/why-are-my-windows-wet-every-morning/) - [There’s black mould on the walls](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/get-rid-of-black-mould-on-walls/) - [The window seals have gone black](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/black-mould-on-window-seals/) - [I have to dry washing indoors](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/dry-clothes-indoors-without-damp/) - [My rented home is damp](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/damp-in-rented-home-landlord/) - [I’m not sure what kind of damp it is](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/condensation-vs-rising-damp-vs-penetrating-damp/) - [The house is cold and heating costs too much](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/heating-cost-per-hour/) - [My clothes smell musty in the wardrobe](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/mould-on-clothes-in-wardrobe/) ## What an hour costs this winter Electricity at 26.32p and gas at 7.97p per kWh, the [price cap](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Typical power for each appliance. Central heating assumes the house takes 5kW of heat, with a heat pump efficiency from the government's field trial and a typical boiler efficiency; yours will differ. [Work out your own](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/heating-cost-per-hour/). ### Keeping you warm 1. Electric blanket 2.6p 2. Heated throw 3.2p 3. Halogen heater 32p 4. Oil-filled radiator 39p 5. Fan heater 53p ### Heating the whole house (5kW of heat) 1. Air source heat pump 45p 2. Gas boiler 47p 3. Oil boiler 73p 4. Electric heaters or boiler £1.32 ### Drying and damp 1. Compressor dehumidifier 4.7p 2. Heated airer 6.6p 3. Desiccant dehumidifier 16p [See the full Home Comfort Cost Index](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/home-comfort-cost-index/): cost per hour, per evening and per month for each of these, with what changed since the last price cap. ## Calculators - [Dehumidifier size calculator](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/dehumidifier-size-calculator/) Answer four questions about your home and get the dehumidifier size and type that suits it, with what it will cost to run. - [Running cost calculator](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/running-cost-calculator/) Find out what any electric appliance costs per hour, day, month and winter at the current UK price cap. - [Mould risk checker](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/humidity-mould-risk-checker/) Enter your room temperature and humidity to see your mould risk and the temperature at which walls and windows start to get wet. - [Heating cost per hour](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/tools/heating-cost-per-hour/) Compare the hourly cost of a heated throw, electric blanket, plug-in heaters, and gas, oil, heat pump and electric central heating. ## Guides ### [Damp](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/) - [Compressor vs desiccant dehumidifier: which do you need?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/compressor-vs-desiccant-dehumidifier/) - [Best dehumidifier for drying laundry](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-dehumidifier-for-drying-laundry/) - [Best quiet dehumidifier for bedrooms](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-quiet-dehumidifier/) - [Best dehumidifier for garages and unheated rooms](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-dehumidifier-for-garage/) - [What is a hygrometer, and which one should you buy?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-hygrometer/) - [Best window vac for condensation](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/damp/best-window-vac/) ### [Mould](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/) - [Best mould remover](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/best-mould-remover/) - [How to get rid of black mould on walls](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/get-rid-of-black-mould-on-walls/) - [Black mould on window seals: how to remove it](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/black-mould-on-window-seals/) - [Mould on clothes in the wardrobe: how to remove it and stop it](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/mould/mould-on-clothes-in-wardrobe/) ### [Heating](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/) - [Best heated airer](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/best-heated-airer/) - [Best electric blanket and heated throw](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/best-electric-blanket-and-heated-throw/) - [Draught excluders and window insulation film](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/draught-excluders-and-window-film/) - [Does a dehumidifier lower your heating bills?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/heating/does-a-dehumidifier-lower-heating-bills/) ### [Keeping cool](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/cool/) - [Fan and portable air conditioner running costs](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/cool/fan-and-air-conditioner-running-costs/) - [Portable air conditioner vs fan: which do you need?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/cool/portable-air-conditioner-vs-fan/) - [Best fan for a bedroom](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/cool/best-fan-for-bedroom/) - [How to keep a bedroom cool in a heatwave](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/cool/how-to-keep-a-bedroom-cool/) - [Do evaporative air coolers work in the UK?](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/cool/do-evaporative-coolers-work/) --- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to shops are marked, and earning from them never decides what we recommend. [How this site is paid for](https://homecomfortlab.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/). Running costs use 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, the [Ofgem price cap, Direct Debit average for England, Scotland and Wales](https://ofgem.gov.uk/news/changes-energy-price-cap-between-1-october-and-31-december-2026) for 1 October to 31 December 2026.