Electricity cost · portable air conditioner
A 1,200 W portable air conditioner used about 8 hours a day costs roughly $1.63 per day, $16.32 a month, or $195.84 a year at the $0.17/kWh US average rate — and uses about 9.6 kWh a day. These are indicative figures; adjust the wattage, hours, and your $/kWh below for your own home.
Typical wattages & rates indicative, as of — use your bill's $/kWh
Running a typical 1,200 W portable air conditioner about 8 hours a day costs roughly $1.63 a day, $16.32 a month, and $195.84 a year at the $0.17/kWh US average — about 9.6 kWh a day. A portable or window air conditioner draws around 1,200 W while the compressor runs, and it cycles on and off with the thermostat through the cooling season.
These are indicative figures, not a bill. Your real cost depends on the unit's actual wattage, how long you run it, and your local rate. Enter your own watts and the $/kWh from your bill in the calculator above for an accurate estimate. Cycling appliances don't run at full power continuously.
Indicative: typical 1,200 W × 8 h/day at the $0.17/kWh US average, as of 2026-06. Use your bill for accuracy.
Indicatively, a typical 1,200 W portable air conditioner run about 8 hours a day costs roughly $1.63 per day, $16.32 per month, and $195.84 per year at the US-average rate of $0.17/kWh, using about 9.6 kWh a day (1152 kWh a year). A portable or window air conditioner draws around 1,200 W while the compressor runs, and it cycles on and off with the thermostat through the cooling season. These are indicative figures — your real cost depends on the unit's actual wattage, how long you run it, and your own electricity rate.
At a typical 1,200 W and 8 hours of use a day, it draws about 9.6 kWh per day — roughly 1152 kWh over a year on the default schedule. Seasonal cooling — defaulted to ~120 warm days; real draw cycles with the thermostat. Multiply the kWh by your own $/kWh to get your cost.
The two levers are running it less (fewer hours or, for seasonal items, fewer days) and paying less per kWh. Using the appliance during off-peak hours can help if you're on a time-of-use plan, and a more efficient model lowers the wattage. The single most accurate thing you can do is enter your real wattage and your bill's $/kWh in the calculator above.
Indicative estimate only. The 1,200 W figure is a typical indicative value, not a spec for your specific portable air conditioner, and $0.17/kWh is an indicative US average, not your tariff. Real cost varies widely by model, efficiency, usage, and your local rate and plan. For an accurate figure, use the wattage on your appliance and the $/kWh on your electricity bill. Data as of 2026-06.