Running a room air conditioner
in Maine
$152.28 a year A typical ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner uses 532 kWh a year. At Maine's average residential price of 28.63¢ per kWh, that is $152.28 a year, or $12.69 a month.
Model choice matters more than most people expect: the most efficient certified room air conditioner costs $78.36 a year to run, the least efficient $600.17.
The most efficient room air conditioners to run in Maine
Every ENERGY STAR certified model, ranked by certified annual energy use and priced at Maine's rate.
| # | Model | kWh/yr | Cost/yr | vs typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TCL T05WV9M · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 2 | TCL T05WV9MB · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 3 | TCL T05WV9R · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 4 | TCL T05WV9RB · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 5 | TCL W5WC72 · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 6 | TCL W5WC72-B · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 7 | TCL W5WC72M · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 8 | TCL W5WC72M-B · Window | 274 | $78.36 | saves $73.92 |
| 9 | Midea MAW06S1KWT-A · Window | 281 | $80.54 | saves $71.75 |
| 10 | Midea MAW06V1KYWT-S · Window | 281 | $80.54 | saves $71.75 |
| 11 | LG LW6023IVSM · Window | 290 | $83.11 | saves $69.17 |
| 12 | Midea MAW06U1QWT · Window | 298 | $85.32 | saves $66.97 |
| 13 | Midea MAW06V1QWBL-T · Window | 298 | $85.32 | saves $66.97 |
| 14 | Midea MAW06V1QWT · Window | 298 | $85.32 | saves $66.97 |
| 15 | Midea MAW06V1UBL · Window | 298 | $85.32 | saves $66.97 |
| 16 | Midea MAW06V1UWT · Window | 298 | $85.32 | saves $66.97 |
| 17 | Midea MWAUQB-06CRFN8-BCN11 · Window | 298 | $85.32 | saves $66.97 |
| 18 | Hisense WCT06W25A · Window | 329 | $94.05 | saves $58.23 |
| 19 | Midea MWEUWA-06CRFN8-BCM7 · Window | 329 | $94.05 | saves $58.23 |
| 20 | TCL H6W4KW · Window | 329 | $94.05 | saves $58.23 |
Running cost only. Purchase price, capacity and features are not considered here — a cheap-to-run model is not automatically the right buy.
What ENERGY STAR saves you
| Certified models in this category | 424 |
|---|---|
| Lowest certified energy use | 274 kWh/yr — $78.36/yr |
| Median certified energy use | 532 kWh/yr — $152.28/yr |
| Highest certified energy use | 2,096 kWh/yr — $600.17/yr |
| Difference, best to worst | $521.81 a year |
| …over a 10-year life | $5218.10 |
The same room air conditioner in every state
| State | Price per kWh | Cost per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.00¢ | $276.59 | $23.05 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $176.86 | $14.74 |
| New York | 29.93¢ | $159.20 | $13.27 |
| Rhode Island | 29.46¢ | $156.70 | $13.06 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82¢ | $153.29 | $12.77 |
| Maine | 28.63¢ | $152.28 | $12.69 |
| Alaska | 28.23¢ | $150.16 | $12.51 |
| Connecticut | 27.37¢ | $145.58 | $12.13 |
| New Hampshire | 27.33¢ | $145.37 | $12.11 |
| District of Columbia | 25.40¢ | $135.10 | $11.26 |
| Vermont | 24.89¢ | $132.39 | $11.03 |
| Illinois | 23.85¢ | $126.86 | $10.57 |
| New Jersey | 23.27¢ | $123.77 | $10.31 |
| Michigan | 22.01¢ | $117.07 | $9.76 |
| Maryland | 21.77¢ | $115.79 | $9.65 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.55¢ | $114.62 | $9.55 |
| Wisconsin | 19.74¢ | $105.00 | $8.75 |
| Ohio | 19.52¢ | $103.83 | $8.65 |
| Delaware | 19.38¢ | $103.08 | $8.59 |
| Indiana | 18.15¢ | $96.54 | $8.04 |
| Virginia | 17.61¢ | $93.67 | $7.81 |
| Minnesota | 16.95¢ | $90.16 | $7.51 |
| West Virginia | 16.80¢ | $89.36 | $7.45 |
| Alabama | 16.77¢ | $89.20 | $7.43 |
| Texas | 16.44¢ | $87.44 | $7.29 |
| Oregon | 16.27¢ | $86.54 | $7.21 |
| South Carolina | 16.18¢ | $86.06 | $7.17 |
| Colorado | 16.16¢ | $85.96 | $7.16 |
| Mississippi | 16.16¢ | $85.96 | $7.16 |
| Georgia | 15.84¢ | $84.25 | $7.02 |
| South Dakota | 15.73¢ | $83.67 | $6.97 |
| Arizona | 15.23¢ | $81.01 | $6.75 |
| Florida | 15.17¢ | $80.69 | $6.72 |
| Kansas | 15.13¢ | $80.48 | $6.71 |
| North Carolina | 15.09¢ | $80.26 | $6.69 |
| Kentucky | 14.98¢ | $79.68 | $6.64 |
| Washington | 14.95¢ | $79.52 | $6.63 |
| Wyoming | 14.80¢ | $78.72 | $6.56 |
| Montana | 14.67¢ | $78.03 | $6.50 |
| Tennessee | 14.47¢ | $76.97 | $6.41 |
| Arkansas | 14.36¢ | $76.38 | $6.37 |
| Louisiana | 14.15¢ | $75.26 | $6.27 |
| Iowa | 14.14¢ | $75.21 | $6.27 |
| New Mexico | 14.12¢ | $75.10 | $6.26 |
| Missouri | 13.68¢ | $72.76 | $6.06 |
| North Dakota | 13.61¢ | $72.39 | $6.03 |
| Nevada | 13.60¢ | $72.34 | $6.03 |
| Nebraska | 13.59¢ | $72.29 | $6.02 |
| Oklahoma | 13.38¢ | $71.17 | $5.93 |
| Utah | 12.96¢ | $68.93 | $5.74 |
| Idaho | 12.35¢ | $65.69 | $5.47 |
A typical ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner using 532 kWh a year, at each state's average residential electricity price.
Questions
How much does it cost to run a room air conditioner in Maine?
About $152.28 a year — $12.69 a month — for a typical ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner using 532 kWh annually, at Maine's average residential rate of 28.63¢ per kWh.
How much electricity does a room air conditioner use?
Certified models range from 274 to 2,096 kWh a year, with a median of 532 kWh. That spread means the model you choose changes the running cost by $521.81 a year in Maine.
Is that more or less than the rest of the country?
Maine has the 6th highest residential electricity price of the 51 states and DC, at 28.63¢ against a national average of 19.41¢. The same room air conditioner costs $103.24 a year at the national average — $49.04 less than you pay.
Will my bill actually go up by this much?
Only roughly. This is the certified test figure at your state's average price. Your own tariff, how heavily you use the appliance, and its age all move the real number. Older non-certified appliances often use considerably more.
Energy use: US EPA ENERGY STAR certified product data. Electricity price: US EIA Electric Power Monthly, 2026-07-28. Estimates for comparison only. Your actual bill depends on your tariff, how often you run the appliance, and local conditions.