Air conditioner running cost

Estimate what an air conditioner costs to run from its rated electrical input, how long you run it and, if you choose, your own effective-power assumption.

Calculator

Appliance type

Used as the name in your comparison. It does not fill in any values.

Power

Rated input power from the label or manual. Appliances that cycle on and off use less on average.

Hours of use per day

On a day the appliance is used. Up to 24.

Days of use per week

Up to 7.

Effective power (%)

Your own assumption. 100% means full rated input for every hour entered. Lower it only if you know the unit cycles off.

Electricity price per kWh

From your bill or supplier. Use the price per kWh, for example 0.15.

Currency

Changes the currency symbol only. No exchange rates are applied.

Estimated results

Fill in the fields to see the estimated energy use and cost.

Weeks of use per year (optional)

How many weeks a year you run it. The Year row above assumes use all year.

This season estimate is a separate figure shown on this page only. It does not change what is saved when you add the air conditioner to your comparison: comparison and dashboard figures use year-round use (every week of a 365-day year).

Use electrical input, not cooling capacity

Cooling capacity, given in BTU/h or sometimes in kW, describes how much heat the unit removes. It is not the electricity it uses. Look for the rated electrical input power in watts on the nameplate, in the manual or in the specifications. If the label lists only volts and amps, multiplying them gives volt-amperes, which can be higher than the real power, so treat the result as an upper estimate.

The effective-power assumption

A thermostat switches the compressor on and off, and inverter units vary their power, so an air conditioner does not always draw its full rated input. The calculator starts at 100%, which assumes full rated input for every hour entered and gives an upper-end estimate. Lower it only if you have a reason, such as readings from a plug-in energy monitor. No typical percentage is suggested, because it depends on your climate, insulation, temperature setting and unit size.

Seasonal use

The Year row assumes the unit runs every week of the year. Enter your weeks of use per year to see a season estimate. Appliances added to your comparison and dashboard keep the year-round convention.

Example

An illustrative 1,000 W input used 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 100% uses 8 kWh per day of use and 56 kWh a week. At an illustrative $0.20 per kWh that is $11.20 a week, or $134.40 over a 12-week season. If you assumed 60% effective power instead, every figure would be 60% of these.