The truth is that there are some instances when it s cheaper to run a window air conditioner and others when it s cheaper to run central air.
Cost per day to run a window air conditioner.
Use the basic formula of watts x hours of use 1 000 x cost per kilowatt hour cost of operation.
Cost per day to run an air conditioner.
This setup will cost you 3 70 per day to run.
Determine how much the air conditioner would cost to run over a 24 hour period.
Cost per hour 1000w 0 20 1 000 0 20 per hour.
Let s also assume that you re running the unit for eight hours per day.
Cost per hour power air conditioner in w electricity cost per kwh 1 000.
0 54216 x 7 hours 3 79512.
381 60 x 0 4 152 64.
The higher the eer number the more efficient your air conditioner is.
0 53 x 24 12 72.
The cost of the unit.
So again the frigidaire ffra0511r1 is a very efficient and cheap unit to run.
Cost per month to run your air conditioner.
For the purpose of example let s say your air conditioner runs 7 hours each night.
To find out how much does it cost to run ac all night determine how many hours your air conditioner will run overnight.
Using the multiplier for a 100 degree santa clarita summer again we get.
Watts x 1 hour of use 1 000 x 0 13 kwh hourly cost of operation.
A simple example would be a 10 000 btu portable air conditioner powered by 1000 w in california.
The standard eer for most air conditioners is set at 10 0.
It s common for a central air conditioning system to use 3 500 watts so let s roll with that and the average national kwh cost that s 13 2 cents to get an idea of a rough average running cost.
Cost per hour to run an air conditioner.
The frigidaire ffra0511r1 is rated at 11 1 eer.
Open doors and windows if you have a window air conditioner running in a room that has a separate open window or door leading out to the rest of the house then the unit must work harder to cool the room.
Here are some factors that affect the cost of cooling your home.
The number of hours you plan to run the air conditioner each day.
6 50 kwh x 8 1 cents kwh 53 cents or 0 53 per hour.
If you re just comparing the price of a window unit to central air a window unit will cost much less.
If you live in a very hot climate you can probably expect to pay more per day to run a window air conditioner.
This number is also displayed on the energy guide sheet of your new air conditioner.
You can then use the following basic formula to figure out your daily and monthly cost of running the window air conditioner or skip down to our chart which already has the math done for you.
Here s how you can use the formula to calculate the cost of operating the air conditioner on your own.