We have come across many people striving to know the running cost of an air conditioner to estimate the affordability of having an AC during summer. This article is about how much it costs to run air conditioning along with the other necessary details.

There are some factors to consider in this regard, such as:

  • The capacity of your unit.
  • Air conditioning efficiency.
  • Regional electricity cost.
  • Running timespan of your AC.

We recommend considering these factors to make an informed conclusion to get the perfect estimate.

How Much Does it Cost to Run Air Conditioning?

On average, the hourly cost of running an air conditioner revolves around $0.06 to $0.88. As mentioned above, the overall cost of running an air conditioner depends upon several factors.

Each factor is going to be discussed in detail in this article. Other than the primary factors, there are some secondary factors too that require proper consideration to save your time, effort, money, and energy all at the same time.

Energy-Intensive Air Conditioning Cost

It is an admitted fact that air conditioning is an energy-intensive activity that requires a lot of electricity to work to win the cooling atmosphere against hot and intense weather conditions.

Can You Use Dehumidifier With Swamp Cooler? - Detailed Guide
Swamp coolers are excellent cooling tools for both indoor and outdoor spaces. With minimal energy use, it may effectively lower the temperature in your space. The main drawback is that low humidity is required for it to function properly.
My Finest AirMoore

You will be amazed to find out that in 2021 the energy consumption in cooling the living spaces was about 16% of the total electricity consumption by the residential sector in the US. These facts are alarming and convincing enough to consider the cost of running one in your house.

See Our Guide: How to Turn Off Fresh Air Intake on Air Conditioner? - Guide

Use Highly Energy Efficient Appliances

Several types of electrical air conditioning systems are available in the market. But the basic difference between them is energy efficiency. Based on the energy efficiency, we can divide these units into the following types:

  1. Low-Energy Efficiency
Normally there are three most common types of air conditioning systems that are low energy efficient and can cost you plenty of money if you use these units for long hours. Energy-efficient appliances can potentially affect electricity bills and can help you save your monthly expenses. Following are the three common types of air conditioners:
  • Portable air conditioners.
  • Window AC.
  • Mini-Split AC
  1. High Energy Efficiency

High energy-efficient machines are mostly costly compared to lower energy-efficient machines. Still, if you are looking for long-term benefits, we recommend investing in such a machine that can give you less electricity cost. Take care of the following two aspects in this regard:

  • Look out if they are 10+ and 11+ EER.
  • Your mini-split air conditioner should be 20+SEER.

Other Factors Affecting The Cost

Several secondary factors can affect the overall electricity cost while running an air conditioner to cool your room or the living space during the summer season. These factors include the geographical location where you are residing and the following other factors:

  • Characteristics depend upon the location of stay.
  • Thermal efficiency of the unit.
  • Type of insulation.
  • Size & Cost of AC running.

Calculate The Average Rates

If you know the right formula, then it would be very easy for you to calculate the exact electricity cost of running an air conditioner. For a perfect relation, you need to find out the electricity cost per kWh in your area and the maximum power consumption of your AC measured in watts. After knowing these factors, put the values in the following formula to get the cost of running your AC:

Cost (per hour) = AC max power (In W) * {electricity cost (per kWh) / 1000}

You can calculate the hourly rate of running an AC by the given formula.

How Long Should You Run A Humidifier? – Factors To Consider
The various surrounding variables and temperature levels determine the best use of this device. The average time in all conditions is at most 16 hours to use this equipment.
My Finest AirMoore

Typical Estimate

After a detailed consideration of the factors mentioned above and the calculation of electricity cost by the given formula, we can predict the following typical cost value:

  • The average cost revolves around $0.06 to $0.88 per hour.
  • If you run your system for 8 hours during the day, the cost might revolve around $14.4 to $211.2 per month.

Factors Affecting the Cost Of AC Installation

There can be no universal cost value for buying an AC and installing your unit to cool your living space during hot weather. As the cost value depends upon several factors, consider the following factors regarding the installation of an AC:

  • The first factory is the type of your AC, whether in an energy-efficient appliance or the common ordinary air conditioning unit.
  • The size of your machine is the second factor that would affect its installation cost.
  • If your AC's SEER rating is high, you will obviously pay a higher price for the installation.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, we recommend that you invest in highly efficient energy-efficient air conditioning units that can save a lot of energy and ultimately cause you to lower electricity bills.

Another important factor regarding the cost of running an AC is your daily routine and how you utilize the cooling capacity of your system. We recommend you keep your room's air intake for longer, ultimately saving your energy and accounts.

In any other case, there are chances of losing the cool air and ultimately air conditioners will run for longer hours.

Share this post