Cost To Run Window ACs (Cheapest A/C Revealed | With Calculator)

by

A person who is using an AC in their home, office, and many other places often want to know the cost to run an air conditioner. They also want to know about what is the cheapest AC to run. So this article is giving you all the information after researching 1040+ window AC about the cost to run window ACs, the cost of the cheapest Windows AC, and the Cost of the most energy-efficient window AC. 

Cost to run window ACs

  • The cost to run window ACs for an hour costs between $0.06 to $0.36.
  • The Cost to run window ACs on average is $0.13 per hour.
  • The most common Cost to run window ACs for an hour is $0.10.
Cost to run window ACs
Cost to run window ACs

Factor affecting the Cost to run window ACs:

A window air conditioner is not always used at the maximum power consumption. The cost and a window AC also depend on many factors and the cost doesn’t need to be the same all the time. The cost may reduce during different cooling stages, different settings, different room temperatures, the wattage used, and many more.

At the startup of a window air conditioner, these are the initial hours that are the most consuming in terms of electricity and cost.

The following table in detail the cost to run window ACs in the initial hours:

Window AC running cost categoryCost per hour assuming used continuously at max power draw
Average$0.13
Most common$0.10
Highest$0.36
Lowest$0.06

Now after the research done on 1040 window air conditioners and assuming 750 hours per year of compressor operation. The cost to run and window AC is being recorded.

Cost to run window ACs annually:

  • The cost to run a window AC ranges between $46.5 and $432.75 per year.
  • The average cost of running a window AC is $114.82. 
  • The most common cost per year is $75.

Cost to run window ACs monthly:

  • The cost to run a window AC ranges between $3.82 and $35.57 per month.
  • The average cost to run a window AC is $9.44.
  • The most common earning cost per month is $6.16.
Cost to run window ACs
Cost to run window ACs

Cost to run window ACs per day:

  • The Cost to run window ACs ranges between $0.3 and $1.99 daily. 
  • The Cost to run window ACs is $0.31. 
  • The most common Cost to run window ACs is $0.21 per day. 

The following table also shows in detail the Cost to run window ACs per month, per year, and per day:

Window AC running cost categoryCost per day based on power consumption testsCost per month / 30 days based on power consumption testsCost per year which is based on power consumption tests
Average$0.31$9.44$114.82
Most common$0.21$6.16$75.00
Highest$1.19$35.57$432.75
Lowest$0.13$3.82$46.50

The Cost to run window ACs is not always the same but if a person is running an energy-efficient AC it is different so it is important to run the most energy-efficient window air conditioner. Next, know about the cheapest window air conditioner to run.

Cheapest Window Air Conditioner To Run

The cheapest window air conditioner is the Frigidaire and the cost to run it is $0.13 per day, $3.82 per month, and $46.50 per year. It is a low-wattage window air conditioner that costs 58% less than the average of $5.62 less per month and $68.32 less per year. Also if the AC is used at the maximum weightage of 400 Watts it costs 6 cents per hour. A window air conditioner is cheaper to run than the more powerful units but it doesn’t mean that they are as energy efficient as the other. So now let’s see the cost to run the most energy-efficient window air conditioner according to the room size. 

Cost To Run The Most Energy-Efficient Window ACs

The following table explains the list of the most energy-efficient window air conditioners according to the room size:

Room sizeMost efficient window ACCost per monthCost per year
150 sq. ft.Frigidaire – FFRE053WAE$3.82$46.50
250 sq. ft.LG – LW6019ER$4.48$54.45
300 to 350 sq. ft.Midea – MAW08V1QWT$4.93$60.00
400 to 450 sq. ft.GE Profile – AHTR10AC$5.94$72.30
500 to 550 sq. ft.GE Profile – AHTR12AC$7.20$87.60
600 to 650 sq. ft.LG – LW1517IVSM$8.80$107.10
700 sq. ft.Keystone – KSTAW15CE$11.54$140.40
1000 sq. ft.LG – LW1817IVSM$11.32$137.70
1200 sq. ft.No real standout performerApprox. $17.95Approx. $218.40
1300 to 1400 sq. ft.LG – LW2217IVSM$14.03$170.70
1500 to 1600 sq. ft.LG – LW2422IVSM$15.19$184.80
1800 to 2000 sq. ft.Friedrich – KCL28A30A$26.15$318.15
2250 to 2700 sq. ft.Friedrich – KCL36A30A and KEL36A35A$35.57$432.75

[CP_CALCULATED_FIELDS id=”6″]

Are Window Air Conditioners Expensive To Run? 

According to the research, a window air conditioner is expensive to run as its cost can cost as much as $0.36 per hour $35.57 per month, and $432.75 per year. if we compare a window air conditioner with other household appliances they cost more to run than a window air conditioner. There is a microwave which has the same amount of electricity consumed as a window unit does.

We can also compare a window air conditioner unit with other household appliances as the average cost today in a window air conditioner is $0.3 per hour and which is equivalent to:

Cost of running the TV for 14 hours. 

Cost of running a freezer for 21 hours 

cost of running a ceiling fan for 32.5 hours.

The result is that a window air conditioner’s cost to run monthly accounts for approximately 8.2% of the average US household’s electricity bill.

Conclusion:

The result from the above article is that on average the Cost to run window ACs is $0.3 per hour at maximum power it costs $3.82 to $35.57 per month and the annual costs range from $46.50 to $432.75. The cheapest Cost to run window ACs, the Frigidaire, is 58% less per day than the average cost, $68.22 less per year and saving the cost up to $386.25 per year. 

FAQ’s

How to calculate the operating cost of an air conditioner? 

For calculating the operating cost of an air conditioner the formula is kWh * kWh unit cost = cost to operate an AC for an hour.

What is cheaper to run a window air conditioner or central air? 

It depends upon the size of the house for cooling the entire house. Instead of using multiple window air conditioners which will cost more, you can use a single central air conditioner with a proper size.

Rick Costa
Latest posts by Rick Costa (see all)

Leave a Comment