How much a Window ac unit cost to run?
Hey! Are you worried or confused about how much a window ac unit costs to run? Do you wonder about the best possible answer and solution to the query? Just forget the problem because here is the solution to all the problems you face about your window ac.
The total unit cost of your ac will be determined by the following factors, which we will discuss in this article in detail. On average, a window ac unit cost in the USA per annual is nearly $2000. This increasing energy bill cost becomes a problem to manage the income, so we will glance at the best possible solutions to get out of this problem.
Our primary focus in this post is to help you calculate the entire cost of running window ac. Or what parameter you should follow to decide when buying new window ac, whether it is within budget or not.
How much does it cost to run a window Ac?
In actuality, the cost to run the window ac depends on the BTU consumption, the number of hours used per day, and wattage.
Here is a table that will show you the cost to run the window ac with an EER(Energy Efficiency Rating) of 10 with an average cost of $0.12 per kilowatt-hour.
To calculate the final cost, you need BTU, wattage, KWH, and hours of use.
Window AC units in BTU | Cost Per Hour |
12,000 BTU window AC | Costs $0.144 |
10,000 BTU window AC | Costs $0.118 |
8,000 BTU window AC | Costs $0.086 |
5,000 BTU window AC | Costs $0.066 |
Window AC unit cost per month:
Here you’ll get the answer to how much a window ac unit costs per month. It is estimated that a window air conditioner costs between $17-and $45 per month. The total window ac cost depends upon the consumption of BTU, wattage, and number of hours of use.
Estimate Cost Per Month | Window AC Unit (BTU) |
Costs $46.60 per month | 15,000 (BTU) Window AC |
Costs $34.60 per month | 12,000 (BTU) Window AC |
Costs $26.40 per month | 10,000 (BTU) Window AC |
Costs $20.20 per month | 8,000 (BTU) Window AC |
Costs $15.50 per month | 5,000 (BTU) Window AC |
How much does running a 12,000 (BTU) air conditioner cost?
On average, a 12,000 (BTU) air conditioner costs $0.144 per hour. If the ac is used 8-10 hours per day, it will cost $1.12-$1.4 per day. Accordingly, per month’s cost for running the air conditioner will be around $33.6-$42.
How much does running a 10,000 (BTU) air conditioner cost?
On average, a 10,000 (BTU) air conditioner costs $0.118 per hour. If the ac is used 8-10 hours per day, it will cost $0.944-$1.1 per day. Accordingly, per month’s cost for running the air conditioner will be around $28.32-$33.
How much does running an 8,000 (BTU) air conditioner cost?
On average, an 8,000 (BTU) air conditioner costs $0.086 per hour. If the ac is used 8-10 hours per day, it will cost $0.688-$0.86 per day. Accordingly, per month’s cost for running the air conditioner will be around $20.64.-$25.8.
How much does running a 5,000 (BTU) air conditioner cost?
On average, a 5,000 (BTU) air conditioner costs $0.066 per hour. If the ac is used 8-10 hours per day, it will cost $0.528-$0.66 per day. Accordingly, per month’s cost for running the air conditioner will be around $15.84-$19.8.
How can I calculate the cost of the window air conditioner?
Suppose you want to know the total cost of a window air conditioner. You have to know the following factors in your mind before doing the calculation.
- How many hours do you want to run your air conditioner per day or week?
- How much is your electric company charger for kilo watt-per hour? (The national average is almost $0.12).
- How many watts is ac unit used in running conditions?
- The temperature of the air conditioner will you set for the cooling of your room.
Keeping in mind this information or using this basic formula, you can figure out the running cost of a window air conditioner or go to the chart I have drawn above for your ease.

Cost formula for window air conditioner
- Watts ✖ 1 ( hours of use) ÷ 1,000 ✖ 0.12 (kWH) = hourly cost of operation
Example:
- 600-Watt unit ✖ 1-hour ÷ 1,000 ✖ 0.12(kWH)= $0.072 hourly cost of operation
- $0.072 ✖ 8 hours per day = $0.576 daily cost operation
- $0.576 ✖ 30 days in month = $17.28 monthly cost operation
- $17.28 ✖ 12 months= $207.36 annual cost operation
Window air conditioner unit average cost.
How much will a window AC cost for the average person? It depends on how many hours you want to run your ac. Assuming that you want to run your ac 8 hours per day with kWh $0.12 charges, you will pay the following amount according to the size of the ac.
- 1500 Watt Unit (12,000 BTU) = $43.2 per month
- 1,000 Watt Unit (10,000 BTU) = $28.8 per month
- 600 Watt Unit ( 8,000 BTU) = $ 17.28 per month
- 500 Watt Unit ( 5,000 BTU) = $14.4 per month
Cost for the window air conditioner installation
Some people are multi-tasking they can install their ac by themself. They will cost $0 for installation. The installation price may vary from $300 to $500.
And if you want to hire a specialized technician, you can expect hourly to pay him around $70 to $140 for their time.
Factors that affect the power of AC.
If you want that, your AC consumes the following minimum factors because they can affect the efficiency of the power of the AC.
You can also check out our other related article:
Indoor temperature
If your room is shady or furnished or has less open space, it will surely be cool to set a slightly high temperature above 20°C. But, if you set a low temperature inside, you outdoor have to work harder compressing more air. As a result, it will consume more energy costs will be increased. Increasing the temperature, the compressor will work much more minor, leading to less power consumption.
Outdoor temperature
Suppose the outside temperature increases or becomes 95 degrees or higher. We will ultimately get down the temperature of the thermostats. In this situation, the compressor will work harder. It will result in the outrage of air filters of the compressor than average. It will also increase the energy load, leading to overload, leading to widespread power outages.
Insulation
If you are paying a high cost of electricity bills, your AC is working harder, or consuming more energy, how you can avoid this situation or reduce the electricity bill. Yes! You can do it by insulating your house more the insulation less the compressor’s working, lowering the use of energy reducing the bill.
AC effectiveness
The AC effectiveness can depend upon the power, condition, and efficiency. The BTU rating of your ac means faster cooling using more energy. If the condition of your ac is terrible, it will consume more energy. The efficiency of your AC can be measured by the EER rating more the rating more will be the efficiency.
AC size
As discussed above, the energy consumption with cost values with BTU units. Less the size of ac less will be the BTU, less it will consume the energy less you will pay the bill.
Daily running
How long do you want to run your ac per day? Do you want to run your ac at the time of sleep at night? Or you just on the AC and forget to off it and it will run from dawn to dusk without any rest.
If you want to reduce your monthly bill, you have to decide the running hours for your ac.
Energy efficiency rate
Energy-efficient ratio (EER) indicates the quality of your ac. In the market standard window air conditioner with 10 EER is available. If the value of EER is more significant than this, it means there is some particular appliance this is. Lowering the EER means higher the cost of your electricity bill. Your device’s EET value will decide whether your device is energy-saving or not. Always try to get the device with a high EER value.
The ways which we can use to improve the performance of AC
By using some precautions or instructions, we can improve our AC’s performance, and it will also help reduce energy consumption or electricity bills.
Insulation
It will help you to maintain the desired temperature in the room. Insulation will help you to maintain the temperature in summer and winter. As in the summer season, it will not allow the heat to come inside, while in winter, it will not allow the cold to enter inside. Not only this, but insulation is also helpful in reducing noise pollution. An insulated house will be energy efficient and helpful in heating and cooling.
Up the temperature
Try to keep the thermostat’s temperature high at a reasonable range to reduce the load on the outdoor compressor. Ultimately, it will reduce energy costs or increase the air conditioner efficiency.
Let it flow
Be careful about the path of the air conditioner. There should be nothing in between which can stop the flow of air. Drapes should be well opened. Don’t block it with furniture also.
Change your filters

A filter has an essential role in air compressing and cooling. So, keep on changing the filter timely before it gets blocked or increases the pressure on the compressor for working. As compressor work gets more challenging, more significant will be energy use, and more we will pay the electricity bill.
Factors that affect the price of window air conditioners
As we know, different kinds of window air conditioners are available in the market in different price ranges. The question that comes to mind is why there is a vast difference in the prices of air conditioners. Many factors affect the cost value of an air conditioner unit.
There may be the following factors.
- Brand
- Energy efficiency
- Brand
- Features
Brand
How much a window AC unit costs undoubtedly depends on the name of the brand. The brand of any device always has great importance.
A brand of the air conditioner will decide the cost of the unit. We should always prefer that trustworthy brand or one that has a significant market share.
Which can guarantee you better customer service and availability of unit parts of the air conditioner whenever something goes wrong with the unit.
Energy efficiency
It’s another factor which has great importance that you have to consider when answering the question ‘ how much does a window air conditioner cost? Is its unit energy efficiency.
Two units decide the efficiency of the unit one is (EER, energy efficiency ratio) while the second one is (CEER, combined energy efficiency ratio).
This is the best way to gauge the price value of the air conditioner unit. One thing kept in mind is that the unit’s price will not decide the EER or CEER; instead, these values will decide the unit’s price.
Higher the EER or CEER value will be the unit’s cost price. EER is the older unit, while CEER is the modern version of the Department of Energy.
Features
It’s pretty apparent not all air conditioners are designed or manufactured with the same features. Different units have different features or functions. They include advanced features like a digital thermostat, Wi-Fi capabilities, and multi-directional fan vents.
More the features window air conditioner has more will be the cost and vice vers.
Cooling capacity
The air conditioner’s cooling capacity can be determined by checking its British Thermal Unit(BTU). BTU will match the specific square footage rating, indicating how big a room an air conditioner Handel is in.
This is also one of the main factors that estimate the price of an air conditioner and how ample a space it can cool.
Wondering how much your window AC unit will cost to run? Check out our FAQs for answers to your questions!
we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about how much a window ac unit costs to run.
What should I know before I buy a Window Air Conditioner?
Are you looking for a way to keep cool this summer without breaking the bank? A window air conditioner may be the perfect solution for you! But before you make your purchase, there are a few things you should know.
First, think about the size of the room you want to cool. You’ll want to buy an AC unit that is the appropriate size for the space, otherwise, it won’t be as effective.
Which Window Air Conditioner Should I Buy?
If you’re in the market for a window air conditioner, you might be wondering which one is right for you. There are a few things to consider when making your decision, like the size of the unit and the features you’re looking for. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! Check out our guide below to find the perfect window AC unit for your needs.
How Much Does A Window Ac Unit Cost To Run Per Month Or Year?
The cost of running a window air conditioner unit depends on a few factors, such as the size of the unit, the climate you live in, and how often you use it. In general, however, you can expect to spend about $25 per month or $300 per year on electricity for a small window AC unit. If you live in a hotter climate or have a larger unit, your costs will be higher.
Conclusion
No doubt, a window air conditioner is one of the best ways to cool your room within the budget. After reading this article, I hope you understand how much a window air conditioner unit costs. Keep in mind that they all are more precise and close figures final answer will give you the electricity bill.