Energy
Estimate the energy cost of running an air conditioner.
Enter your numbers to see the answer.
Air conditioner running cost guide
Air conditioning is usually the single largest line on a summer electricity bill, and in hot, humid climates it can dominate the bill for eight months of the year. This calculator takes the electrical input power of your air conditioner, the hours it runs each day, and your tariff per kilowatt-hour, then shows the cost per hour, per day, per 30-day month, and per 365-day year. Use the unit’s electrical draw in watts, which is printed on the nameplate or datasheet as “rated input” or “power consumption”; it is not the cooling capacity in BTU or tons. A 1 ton non-inverter split typically draws 1,100 to 1,300 W while the compressor runs, and an inverter model averages less because it throttles down once the room is cool. Enter the average number of hours the compressor is actually working rather than the hours the unit is switched on, and use the marginal rate from your bill, especially where tariffs are tiered or slab-based.
Energy per day (kWh) = watts × hours per day ÷ 1,000. Cost per day = kWh × rate. Monthly cost = daily × 30. Annual cost = daily × 365. Hourly cost = watts ÷ 1,000 × rate.
Worked example: a 1,200 W air conditioner running 6 hours per day at $0.16 per kWh. Hourly cost is 1,200 ÷ 1,000 × $0.16 = $0.192, shown as $0.19. Daily energy is 1,200 × 6 ÷ 1,000 = 7.2 kWh, so the daily cost is 7.2 × $0.16 = $1.152, shown as $1.15. The 30-day month is $1.152 × 30 = $34.56, and the 365-day year is $1.152 × 365 = $420.48, which is the headline figure the calculator displays.
Power is in watts of electrical input. If the label gives amps, multiply by your supply voltage (230 V in Bangladesh, India, the UK and most of Europe; 120 V in North America) to estimate watts. If it gives kilowatts, multiply by 1,000. Hours are compressor-running hours per day. The rate is currency per kWh; the currency symbol follows your site setting and is not converted. A month is 30 days and a year is 365 days, so a seasonal unit used only five months should have its annual figure scaled accordingly.
This is a modelled estimate, not a meter reading. Real consumption moves with weather, occupancy, appliance age, standing charges, and tariff structure, and equipment rarely runs at its nameplate rating. Use the figure to compare options against each other, then confirm against your own bill and the manufacturer's specification before committing to a purchase. On this page the figure rests entirely on power, hours per day, electricity rate, market / jurisdiction, effective date, data source, update owner and review date, so start there if the air conditioner running cost returns something you did not expect.
Good to know: entering the cooling capacity (for example 3,500 W or 12,000 BTU) instead of the electrical input roughly triples the estimate. Entering 24 hours “on” when the compressor cycles for perhaps 40 to 60 percent of that time also inflates it. In slab or tiered tariff markets, the extra kWh from an AC often lands in the highest slab, so use that marginal rate, not the average. Inverter ACs draw close to nameplate only while pulling the room down; their steady-state draw can be half the rating.
Energy results depend on tariffs, equipment behavior, region, weather, and installation assumptions. Verify rates and electrical decisions with the utility, manufacturer, or qualified professional.
Sources
How it works
Estimate the energy cost of running an air conditioner. This tool explains the calculation so you can adjust the assumptions to match your situation.
Worked example
With Power = 1200 W · Hours per day = 6 hours · Electricity rate = 0.16 $/kWh → $420.48 / year (estimated electricity cost). Change an input above and this example updates with your numbers.
Common questions
A 1.5 ton unit drawing about 1,800 W for 8 hours uses 14.4 kWh per day. At $0.16 per kWh that is about $2.30 per day, $69 per 30-day month, or roughly $840 per year if it ran every day. Enter your own tariff for a local figure.
A “unit” is one kWh. A 1 ton non-inverter AC drawing 1,200 W uses about 1.2 units per hour while the compressor runs; averaged over a night, with cycling, expect 0.7 to 1 unit per hour. A 5-star inverter model can average 0.5 to 0.8 units per hour.
Yes, usually 20 to 40 percent over a fixed-speed unit of the same tonnage, because it slows the compressor instead of stopping and restarting it. The saving is larger for long running hours; for one or two hours a day the difference in the bill is small.
Use the price per kWh from the energy-charge line on your bill, and if the bill is tiered use the highest slab you reach. Fixed charges, demand charges, and taxes are excluded from this estimate.
Set 24 to 26 °C instead of 18 to 20 °C (each degree warmer saves roughly 3 to 5 percent), clean filters monthly, seal door and window gaps, shade west-facing glass, and run a ceiling fan so the AC can cycle off sooner.