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How much does it cost to run a central air conditioner?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a central air conditioner costs about $427 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 44.5¢
- Per day of use
- $3.56
- Per month
- $35.59
- Per year
- $427
Assumption: 3,500 W at a 70% duty cycle, 8 hours a day, 120 days a year — 2,352 kWh a year. A 3-ton central system draws roughly 3,500 W with the air handler running. Older or oversized units cycle harder and land higher.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $24.93 | $299 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $25.23 | $303 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $26.09 | $313 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $26.09 | $313 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $26.21 | $314 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $26.30 | $316 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $26.54 | $318 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $27.05 | $325 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $28.17 | $338 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $28.28 | $339 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $28.28 | $339 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $28.67 | $344 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $29.05 | $349 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $29.30 | $352 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $29.38 | $353 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $29.50 | $354 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $29.69 | $356 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $30.32 | $364 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $30.52 | $366 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $30.89 | $371 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $31.16 | $374 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $31.18 | $374 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $31.20 | $374 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $31.40 | $377 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $31.97 | $384 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $32.01 | $384 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $32.36 | $388 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $33.36 | $400 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $33.44 | $401 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $33.65 | $404 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $33.71 | $405 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $34.57 | $415 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $36.65 | $440 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $37.87 | $454 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $37.98 | $456 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $38.04 | $457 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $41.94 | $503 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $42.67 | $512 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $45.06 | $541 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $46.73 | $561 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $48.04 | $576 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $48.24 | $579 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $50.92 | $611 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $54.17 | $650 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $55.23 | $663 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $56.15 | $674 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $57.64 | $692 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $58.31 | $700 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $59.74 | $717 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $62.94 | $755 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $92.47 | $1,110 |
Cutting the number down
- Each degree you raise the thermostat in summer trims roughly 3% off cooling energy. Two degrees is a rounding error in comfort and a visible line on the bill.
- A clogged filter makes the blower work against restriction for an entire season. Replacing it is the cheapest maintenance in the house.
- Cooling load tracks the indoor/outdoor gap, so the same thermostat setting costs far more in a 100 F week than an 85 F one.
Questions
- How many watts does a central air conditioner use?
- About 3,500 W while running, though it cycles on and off, so average draw is 2,450 W.
- How much does a central air conditioner cost per month?
- About $35.59 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $427 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $299 a year, versus $1,110 in Hawaii — a spread of $810.