What a room air conditioner costs to run per year
Bottom line
A typical ENERGY STAR room air conditioner costs about $68–$164 a year to run at the US average electricity price (middle 80% of 590 certified models; median $97).
Size and type matter more than brand: the median runs from $54 (0-7,000 BTU/h) to $246 (20,000+ BTU/h).
Within one group, the spread is widest for 20,000+ BTU/h: about $65 a year between the more efficient and less efficient models (10th vs 90th percentile).
Typical cost by cooling capacity (btu/h)
| Cooling capacity (BTU/h) | Models | Median kWh/yr | Median $/yr | Middle 80% $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-7,000 BTU/h | 51 | 298 | $54 | $47–$60 |
| 7,000-10,000 BTU/h | 141 | 400 | $73 | $68–$78 |
| 10,000-14,000 BTU/h | 268 | 562 | $102 | $85–$118 |
| 14,000-20,000 BTU/h | 87 | 755 | $137 | $119–$171 |
| 20,000+ BTU/h | 43 | 1,353 | $246 | $221–$286 |
590 of 590 models fall in the groups above (groups with too few models are left out of this table but counted in the bottom line).
Lowest-energy certified models
The 50 models below have the lowest rated annual energy use in their group. Model numbers with * cover a family of variants (color, trim). Listed by rated kWh, not reviewed or tested by us.
0-7,000 BTU/h
| Brand | Model | Type | Cooling capacity | kWh/yr | $/yr | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLACK+DECKER | BDM05C | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Brothers | 102372 | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWC055TF1 | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWC056TF1 | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW05R1KWT-B | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW05R1VWBL-T | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW05R1VWWT-T | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW05S1KWT-A | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MWEUWA-05CRFN8-BCN4 | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
| Noma | 143-1378-6 | Window | 5,000 BTU/h | 260 | $47 | Check on Amazon |
7,000-10,000 BTU/h
| Brand | Model | Type | Cooling capacity | kWh/yr | $/yr | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZAFRO | 54091EWA0-8K-ZAZ | Window | 8,100 BTU/h | 373 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| BLACK+DECKER | BDM08C | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| DuraSTAR | DRWAC081XVB1 | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWW085WF1 | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| GE | PWJV08W**# | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | 1010451315 | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | 1014242943 | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW08U1KWT | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW08U1QWT | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW08U2QWT | Window | 8,000 BTU/h | 375 | $68 | Check on Amazon |
10,000-14,000 BTU/h
| Brand | Model | Type | Cooling capacity | kWh/yr | $/yr | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLACK+DECKER | BDM10C | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| DuraSTAR | DRWAC101XVB1 | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWW105WF1 | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWW106WF1 | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire Gallery | GHWW105TF1 | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| GE | PWJV10W**# | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| GE Appliances | AWHV10***# | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| Hisense | 143-1383-3 | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| Hisense | AW-10TW1RAGUE75 | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | 1010451479 | Window | 10,000 BTU/h | 469 | $85 | Check on Amazon |
14,000-20,000 BTU/h
| Brand | Model | Type | Cooling capacity | kWh/yr | $/yr | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friedrich | KCVM14B10B | Window | 14,100 BTU/h | 653 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| BLACK+DECKER | BDM14C | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWW145WF1 | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWW146WF1 | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| GE | PWJV14W**# | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| GE Appliances | AWHV14***# | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW14RV1KWT | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW14S1KWT-A | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW14V1KYWT-S | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MWEUWA-14CRFN8-BCP0 | Window | 14,000 BTU/h | 656 | $119 | Check on Amazon |
20,000+ BTU/h
| Brand | Model | Type | Cooling capacity | kWh/yr | $/yr | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K�hl | KCVM18B30B | Window | 20,900 BTU/h | 1,074 | $195 | Check on Amazon |
| Hisense | AW2223TW3W | Window | 22,000 BTU/h | 1,100 | $200 | Check on Amazon |
| Friedrich | KHVM24B34B | Window | 21,700 BTU/h | 1,188 | $216 | Check on Amazon |
| LG | LW2422IVSM(208V) | Window | 23,500 BTU/h | 1,216 | $221 | Check on Amazon |
| LG | LW2422IVSM(230V) | Window | 23,500 BTU/h | 1,216 | $221 | Check on Amazon |
| K�hl | KCVM24B30B | Window | 23,100 BTU/h | 1,246 | $227 | Check on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | FHWW245WF2 | Window | 24,000 BTU/h | 1,304 | $237 | Check on Amazon |
| GE Appliances | AWHV24***# | Window | 24,000 BTU/h | 1,304 | $237 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW24RV1KWT | Window | 24,000 BTU/h | 1,304 | $237 | Check on Amazon |
| Midea | MAW24S2KWT-A | Window | 24,000 BTU/h | 1,304 | $237 | Check on Amazon |
Notes
- The annual kWh figure assumes a fixed number of cooling hours from the federal test. A hot climate or long daily use can multiply it.
- Capacity drives cost more than anything else: buy the size the room needs, not the largest one.
- Window and through-the-wall models.
Work it out for your rate
Annual kWh ÷ 5.5 ≈ dollars per year
At the US average price of 18.19¢ per kWh, every 5.5 kWh costs about $1 (1 ÷ 0.1819 = 5.50). A refrigerator rated at 550 kWh a year costs about $100 a year to run.
Multiply the kWh figure by your own price per kWh from your bill. Your state's price may be far from the average: see rates by state.
Source: ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners (dataset 5xn2-dv4h), retrieved 2026-10-30. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B, residential, January-August 2026 year-to-date (released 2026-10-23). How we calculate.