How much electricity does a air conditioner use?
In U.S. homes that have one, a air conditioner uses about 2,318 kWh a year, or 193 kWh a month. At the 2025 average residential price of 17.2¢ per kWh that is $399 a year or $33.28 a month. These are EIA estimates from its Residential Energy Consumption Survey of homes and their utility bills, not a manufacturer's label.
What decides the number
Homes with air conditioning (central or room units, plus evaporative coolers) used 2,318 kWh a year for cooling, and central systems used another 457 kWh for the indoor blower. Climate decides almost everything: homes in hot-humid climates used 4,173 kWh, homes in cold climates 1,310 kWh. Most of the year's cooling cost lands in three or four summer months, so a summer bill can be several times the annual average shown here.
Air Conditioner electricity use by home
By climate
| Climate | kWh / year | Cost / year at 17.2¢ |
|---|---|---|
| Very cold and Cold | 1,310 | $226 |
| Mixed-humid | 2,293 | $395 |
| Mixed-dry and Hot-dry | 2,691 | $464 |
| Hot-humid | 4,173 | $719 |
| Marine | 902 | $155 |
By region
| Region | kWh / year | Cost / year at 17.2¢ |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 1,395 | $240 |
| Midwest | 1,522 | $262 |
| South | 3,304 | $569 |
| West | 2,059 | $355 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), Tables CE5.3a/CE5.3b, average site electricity consumption per household using the end use (revised March 2024).
Cost to run a air conditioner in every state
| State | ¢/kWh | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 40.4 | $78.04 | $936.47 |
| California | 31.4 | $60.56 | $726.69 |
| Massachusetts | 30.4 | $58.74 | $704.90 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | $56.95 | $683.35 |
| Connecticut | 29.3 | $56.62 | $679.41 |
| Maine | 27.7 | $53.49 | $641.85 |
| New York | 26.4 | $50.98 | $611.72 |
| Alaska | 26.1 | $50.44 | $605.23 |
| New Hampshire | 24.5 | $47.38 | $568.61 |
| Vermont | 22.8 | $44.02 | $528.27 |
| New Jersey | 22.5 | $43.42 | $521.09 |
| District of Columbia | 21.9 | $42.34 | $508.11 |
| Michigan | 20.0 | $38.69 | $464.30 |
| Maryland | 19.5 | $37.73 | $452.71 |
| Pennsylvania | 19.3 | $37.26 | $447.14 |
| Wisconsin | 18.1 | $34.92 | $419.09 |
| Illinois | 17.7 | $34.13 | $409.59 |
| Delaware | 17.1 | $33.13 | $397.54 |
| Ohio | 16.9 | $32.65 | $391.74 |
| Alabama | 16.1 | $31.08 | $372.97 |
| Indiana | 16.0 | $30.83 | $369.95 |
| Minnesota | 15.8 | $30.58 | $366.94 |
| Colorado | 15.7 | $30.31 | $363.69 |
| Oregon | 15.5 | $29.86 | $358.36 |
| Texas | 15.4 | $29.75 | $356.97 |
| West Virginia | 15.4 | $29.73 | $356.74 |
| Virginia | 15.3 | $29.52 | $354.19 |
| Arizona | 15.3 | $29.48 | $353.73 |
| Florida | 15.2 | $29.38 | $352.57 |
| South Carolina | 15.1 | $29.21 | $350.48 |
| New Mexico | 14.8 | $28.69 | $344.22 |
| Georgia | 14.7 | $28.47 | $341.67 |
| Kansas | 14.4 | $27.89 | $334.72 |
| Mississippi | 14.0 | $27.10 | $325.22 |
| North Carolina | 14.0 | $27.04 | $324.52 |
| Iowa | 13.6 | $26.31 | $315.71 |
| Wyoming | 13.4 | $25.83 | $309.92 |
| South Dakota | 13.3 | $25.73 | $308.76 |
| Missouri | 13.3 | $25.69 | $308.29 |
| Nevada | 13.3 | $25.61 | $307.37 |
| Tennessee | 13.2 | $25.54 | $306.44 |
| Oklahoma | 13.2 | $25.52 | $306.21 |
| Washington | 13.2 | $25.44 | $305.28 |
| Kentucky | 13.1 | $25.36 | $304.35 |
| Utah | 13.0 | $25.15 | $301.80 |
| Montana | 13.0 | $25.09 | $301.11 |
| Arkansas | 12.9 | $24.86 | $298.33 |
| Louisiana | 12.5 | $24.18 | $290.21 |
| Nebraska | 12.1 | $23.28 | $279.32 |
| Idaho | 11.8 | $22.85 | $274.22 |
| North Dakota | 11.8 | $22.83 | $273.99 |
2,318 kWh a year at each state's 2025 average residential price (EIA-861), all charges included.
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