Air Conditioner Running Cost Calculator
Calculate the daily and monthly cost of running an air conditioner from its wattage, or estimate wattage from its tonnage, plus hours used and electricity price.
W/ton
hours
$
/ kWh
Monthly Cost
$64.80
Daily Cost
$2.16
Daily Energy Use
14.40 kWh
Estimated Wattage
1800 W
How Air Conditioner Running Cost Is Calculated
Air conditioners are usually sized in tons of cooling capacity (1 ton, 1.5 ton, 2 ton being the most common for a home split AC) rather than a wattage figure printed clearly on the unit. This calculator lets you enter wattage directly if you know it, or pick a tonnage and it estimates typical power draw using a reference of roughly 1,200 watts per ton for a standard split AC — a figure you can adjust if your unit's spec sheet lists something different. From there, it multiplies by hours run per day and your electricity price to estimate daily and monthly running cost.
Daily Cost = (Wattage ÷ 1000) × Hours per Day × Price per kWh
Example
A 1.5-ton AC at roughly 1,200W per ton draws about 1,800W. Run for 8 hours a day at $0.15 per kWh, that's 1.8 kW × 8 hours = 14.4 kWh daily, costing about $2.16 a day or roughly $64.80 a month.
Common Use Cases
- Budgeting summer electricity bills before buying or running an air conditioner.
- Comparing running costs of different AC tonnages before choosing a unit for a room.
- Estimating savings from running an AC fewer hours per day or raising the thermostat.
- Checking whether an old AC's actual wattage is costing more than a newer, efficient model.
FAQs
Why does AC tonnage matter for power consumption?
Tonnage measures cooling capacity, not electrical power directly, but larger-capacity units generally draw more watts to produce that cooling. The roughly 1,200W-per-ton figure is a common rule of thumb for standard split ACs, though actual draw varies by efficiency rating (SEER/EER), brand, and model.
Is this different from a generic appliance electricity calculator?
Yes — a generic appliance calculator needs you to already know the exact wattage. This tool adds an AC-specific path: if you only know your unit's tonnage (a very common way ACs are sized and sold), it estimates the wattage for you using the standard per-ton reference.
How can I get a more accurate estimate?
Check your AC's nameplate or spec sheet for its actual rated power input in watts and enter that directly using the wattage input mode — this will always be more accurate than the tonnage-based estimate, since actual draw varies by efficiency and inverter technology.