Cost to run portable ACs in 2024 [Cheapest to run + Calculator]

Last updated: February 24, 2024.

How much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner? Find out below. Also, get running costs of the lowest wattage & most efficient units in 2024. Plus, use this calculator to see your own specific costs.

Based on a study of the most popular units on the market (updated for 2024), below you’ll find the running costs of portable air conditioners.

Spoilers:

• It costs $0.11 to $0.22 per hour to run a portable AC, with $0.18 being the average and $0.19 being the most common;
• The 754W BLACK+DECKER BPT05WTBA (source data linked below) is the cheapest to run, costing 11 cents per hour; and
• The most energy efficient model costs $0.15 per hour.

Continue reading to see the daily and monthly running costs.

And use the calculator below to see the costs based on your kWh rate.

Plus, see how portable AC running costs compare with other standard household appliances.

How much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner?

It costs $0.18 per hour to run a portable air conditioner, on average.

The most common cost to run a portable AC is $0.19 per hour.

Overall, portable air conditioners cost between $0.11 and $0.22 per hour.

These costs assume a kWh rate of 15 cents (the US average) and are based on the power consumption of 56 of the most popular units on the market (updated for 2024).

Per day, at 8 hours of continuous usage, portable air conditioners cost between $0.90 and $1.78, with $1.41 being the average running cost and $1.50 being the most common.

The running costs get more considerable per month.

Running a portable AC for a full month (specifically, 8 hours per day for 30 days at max power consumption), you can expect the electricity cost to range from $27.14 to $53.28.

The table below summarizes the cost to run a portable air conditioner over various durations of usage.

These costs assume continuous usage at max power consumption and a cost per kWh of 15 cents (USD).

Related: Cost To Run Window ACs [1,037+ Studied | Cheapest Revealed].

It’s worth noting, however, that portable ACs don’t operate at their max consumption continuously. They cycle on and off, go through different cooling stages, and consume different levels of power depending on the settings and surroundings among many other factors.

The costs listed, however, still provide a good sense of the expense, albeit slanted towards the higher end of the scale.

So which portable air conditioner is the cheapest to run?

It’s of course the model that consumes the least amount of electricity – let’s take a look at this in more detail.

Cost to run the lowest wattage portable AC

The lowest wattage portable air conditioner is the 754W BLACK+DECKER BPT05WTBA, which costs 11 cents per hour to run.

See wattage confirmation on Home Depot, here, and check out the unit on Amazon, here.

Related: study results used to identify the lowest wattage portable air conditioner.

With the same assumptions as above, this unit costs 90 cents per day, which works out to $27.14 per month – approx. 36% less than the average portable AC running cost.

However, a portable AC with a low wattage does not automatically mean that it’s energy efficient (although the model above is the most efficient for room sizes 150 sq. ft. or less).

It simply means that the appliance doesn’t consume as much electricity as others.

This is particularly important for those running their portable ACs off of batteries or generators.

Related: Portable AC Amps [Lowest Amp Unit Revealed]

Low wattage portable ACs may not cool as effectively as their more power hungry counterparts.

They may even consume more electricity to achieve the same result.

EER, CEER, and many other factors come into play when it comes to portable air conditioner energy efficiency.

So, with this in mind, let’s take a look at the cost to run the most energy efficient portable air conditioners on the market.

Cost to run the most energy efficient portable air conditioners

Based on a study of 56 of the most energy efficient portable air conditioners, the table below lists the cost to run the most energy efficient models, by room size.

Assumptions for these costs are the same as those listed above.

As mentioned in the study, the portable AC unit that stood out as the most energy efficient all-rounder is the Whynter Elite ARC-122DHP. This powerful model costs just $0.15 per hour, $1.19 per day and $35.64 per month (approx. 20% less than average).

Again, costs are based on a unit rate of 15 cents per kWh. 

Your unit rate might be different. To work out your own costs, simply use the Portable AC Running Cost Calculator below.

Related: see the cost to run window ACs vs portable ACs.

Portable AC running cost calculator 

Easily work out the cost to run your portable air conditioner – enter how much you pay per kWh of electricity and your usage duration in the calculator below.

The calculator is pre-populated with the most common wattage for portable AC units and the average cost per kWh in the US.

Again, these costs make the same assumptions as above. This includes the assumption that the appliance will operate at its max power consumption.

Now that we know how much it costs to run portable air conditioners, let’s put the figures into context.

Are portable air conditioners expensive to run?

Portable air conditioners are expensive to run.

Running 1 unit for 1 hour can account for over 4% of a typical US household’s daily electricity consumption and, therefore, bill (excluding standing charges).

Portable ACs are energy guzzlers.

To put the expense into perspective, let’s compare the running costs with other common household appliances.

Running a portable air conditioner for 1 hour costs $0.18, on average. That’s equivalent to:

• The cost to run a TV for over 20 hours;
• The cost to run a freezer for 30 hours; and
• The cost of running a box fan for over 16 hours.

So, compared to other household appliances, portable air conditioners are expensive to run.

Related: Are Portable Air Conditioners Quiet?

Final thoughts

With a cost per hour of 18 cents, on average, portable air conditioners can get very expensive to run over long periods of time.

But are they more expensive to run than window units?

To find out, based on a study of 1,037 window units, check out the cost to run window ACs, here, or get a direct running cost comparison here: Window AC Vs Portable AC [Efficiency, Cooling, Noise & More].

You might also be interested in the cost to run wall air conditioners.

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James

James, Eco Cost Savings co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, is also our experienced in-house energy management and sustainability expert, and manager of our network of sustainability consultants.

Before his journey into sustainability, James studied engineering. Additionally, he has experience in HVAC installation, and data analysis. A self-proclaimed practical environmentalist, and avid penny pincher, James established Eco Cost Savings to share his and his colleague’s expertise with the aim of helping to reduce energy bills and carbon footprints at scale.

Read more about James or connect directly on TokTok, here.