Air Conditioner Running Cost Calculator

AIR CONDITIONER COST EXPLAINER

Turn scheduled cooling into billable compressor-hours

This calculator is most useful when an air conditioner does not draw the same power for every scheduled hour. With the reviewed defaults of 1.5 kW, 8 hours/day, 30 days, 65%, and ₹8/kWh, the tool compresses the full schedule into 156 hours of modeled active runtime, multiplies that runtime by 1.5 kW to reach 234 kWh, and then applies the tariff to reach ₹1,872.

Worked default example

Entered defaults

Input power = 1.5 kW. Schedule = 8 hours/day for 30 days. Duty cycle = 65%. Tariff = ₹8/kWh.

Build the full scheduled window

The page first expands the daily schedule across the full period: 8 hours/day x 30 days = 240 hours.

Reduce the schedule by duty cycle

Only the active-power share is billed at the entered kW in this model, so 240 hours x 65% = 156 hours.

Convert active hours into billed energy

Once active runtime is known, the energy step is direct: 1.5 kW x 156 hours = 234 kWh.

Apply the tariff to the energy total

The primary result comes from one tariff applied to one energy total: 234 kWh x ₹8/kWh = ₹1,872.

Check the daily average

The supporting metric for daily cost is calculated separately as ₹1,872 / 30 days = ₹62.4.

What to enter and how to interpret the result

Enter the AC's electrical input power in kilowatts at the operating state you want to model, the scheduled cooling hours per day, the number of days in the period, the average duty cycle, and the electricity tariff. The main result is the estimated period cost. The supporting metrics show total kWh, equivalent active hours, and average daily cost so you can tell whether the estimate is being driven by power draw, long schedules, or a high duty cycle.

What the calculator actually does

The code uses one simple chain: scheduled hours = hours per day x days, active hours = scheduled hours x duty cycle, energy = input kW x active hours, and cost = energy x tariff. In the reviewed default example that becomes 8 hours/day x 30 days = 240 hours, then 240 hours x 65% = 156 hours, then 1.5 kW x 156 hours = 234 kWh, and finally 234 kWh x ₹8/kWh = ₹1,872. The daily average is checked separately as ₹1,872 / 30 days = ₹62.4.

Assumptions inside the duty-cycle model

The entered kW is treated as the modeled active-power draw. The duty cycle is treated as an average fraction of the scheduled window that draws that power. The remaining scheduled time is not billed at that same kW in this simplified model.

Where this estimate stops helping

This page does not infer thermostat logic, fan-only draw, inverter ramping, SEER or EER, humidity control, occupancy, open windows, service condition, multi-stage compressors, demand charges, time-of-use pricing, or fixed taxes and utility fees. If your tariff changes by slab, hour, or season, run separate scenarios instead of trusting one blended number.