How much does it cost to run aircon?

[hkt83100]

I run the aircon in at least one bedroom at nighttime, set at 26 degrees. At daytime, only fans are used. TV is used, the computer runs almost 24/7, one fridge in the kitchen, doing laundry with an Electrolux with warm water. The average electric bill is about 1300 Baht, in the wintertime (less aircon) it goes down to about 800.

[Jeffrey346]

I live in a nice size house and run the main AC [18,000 BTU] from 6am to 11pm. My bedroom from 5pm to 6am and my kids room 8pm to 6am. My bedroom is 15,000 BTU and the kids room AC is 13,000.

I have a large double door fridge and a few fans going as well.

My electric bill has never exceeded B4000 per month. A fair price to pay for comfort.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Jeffrey346

[Naam]

That kinda depends if you pay straight to the electricity company or if you pay a special condo rate. Personally I use a lot of power but that 1000 or 2000 bt a on top of my normal bill gives me a lot of comfort. I currently run aircon 24/7

They said to me I should pay for the electric and water at 7/11, and only pay the rent to the condo owners. I assume that means I'm probably on the government rate.

BTW if it makes any difference, the condo is in Samut Prakan.

Your lucky, my Condo I'm paying triple the government rate but I knew that when I moved in because the condo was underpriced and they make up for that in the bills..

You will be on the Govt rates if you can pay in 7/11 and not some greedy landlord lol

So, any idea how much it might cost to run my aircon unit?

less than 1,000 Baht / month.

[ice4351]

Try putting insulated curtains on your windows. It is an curtain with a reflective liner. I should help a lot!

[bangarang]

I live in Phuket and I have aircon running in the bedroom 24/7 which is where I design on my computer. My thai mother in law uses the aircon only at night in her room and fans in the play room during the day. My aircon bill is usually around 4,000thb. We live in a 7yr off 3 bedroom house if that helps. I would say its probably 2,000-2,500thb just for my aircon to run 24/7 in the bedroom alone.

[sabaii69]

I am fat and old so I need a/c. I pay about B200 per day and cool the dining area and bedroom at night. The kitchen is sweltering hot and other areas I simply block. My cheap Charlie neighbors use fans but when I visit sweat pours off me. They are also old and fat and I wonder when they will drop dead from the heat. You don't get a 're-do' when you're dead!

[Suradit69]

Use black-out curtains when you're out.

Or when your curtains are made have them put on a reflective backing and/or have the windows treated. I've had the curtain backing added each time I've had curtains made for windows where I get direct sun for part of the year because of southern exposure. It reduces heat a bit and keeps the curtains from quickly fading.

As to the cost of the A/C, the only way you'll know for sure is to follow your plan for a month and see. Buildings hold the heat differently so you're not just cooling the air compared to outside, but you're also fighting the heat in the walls that's built up over time. This is probably the worst time of the year, so if you experiment for a month now, it'll, probably be the upper range in electricity consumption ... assuming the A/C unit is adequate to the job and doesn't have to struggle continuously whatever the temperature outside.

I rarely use the A/C myself but, more through dumb luck than strategic planning, I ended up high enough and near enough to the sea that there's usually a breeze and I can usually tolerate temps of up to 30/31 degrees as long as the humidity isn't overwhelming. Definitely something people need to consider when thinking about renting or buying, especially in Bangkok where you'll really depend on an A/C to survive.

[misterphil]

Same as my old condo and my bill was 2,000 to 3,000 baht a month. You should think yourself lucky. My 4 bedroom house is 8,500 baht a month for the electric bill. Probably the same as some pay for rent.

You should put window tint on your windows and use blackout curtains. The window tint and curtains will stop the sun from shining in when your at work. I have tinted windows but it still gets hot if i dont close the curtains. Blackout curtains are available at Homepro but they arent cheap.

[JimHuaHin]

I suffer from the same problem - room facing west.

Floor area about 56 sq. m. amd volume about 168 cubic metres.

I normally turn the air con on high with windows open for about 5 minutes - gets most of the hot air out.

Then close the windows and let the air con run for about 30 minutes - cools the hot walls!!

Then fan on until bed time, when I let the air con run for about another 30 minutes, to keep me and the room cool, and let the fan run during the night.

In the hotest months this adds about 250-300 Baht to my electricty bill.

[YeaBiGgiEs]

Pretty relative with many variables as to your liking, comfort, lifestyle, hours a day you are actually home, hours you aren't, other people/family members.

I as a single person, in my condo with no other fingers pressing the remote run about 1500-2500 a month

[sandyf]

Total Cooling Capacity: 2800 W

Rated power input: 770 W

I'm not sure which one to use, but basically your electricity is metered in kWh, kilowatt-hours. A kWh is one unit. So, if we take the worst case, your AC uses 2.8 units per hour.

Find out the unit cost and the rest is easy.

No it is not.

It all depends on how much the compresser has to work. It is much cheaper to run aircon in the winter than the summer because of the outside ambient. Internal temperature does affect the running time but not as much as the external temperature.

I have 2 x 18K btu units & 1 x 13K unit. One 18k runs for about 5 hours in the evening & the other all night. The 13K unit maybe about 6 hours a week . The washing machine is on every day and cooking is electric. At the moment the electric bill is about 1600/1700 baht a month. Initially I had just the 13K unit running during the night and the bill was about 1000 baht a month.

Changing to the18K in the bedroom and putting the 18K in the lounge has increased the bill by about 600 baht a month.

[simosiam]

"Given the above factors, how much would it cost per month to run the aircon between 4-6 hours a night? I set the desired room temperature to 27 degrees.

If it helps, the 'stats' of the aircon unit are:

Voltage: 220

Total Cooling Capacity: 2800 W

Rated power input: 770 W

Rated current: 3.5 A"

1 KW/hr cost 4 THB your aircon run at 770 W so it cost around 3 THB/hr

if the compressor run all time it's no more then 20 THB/night or daytime

working in the night on 27 C maybe it work only 50% so I think it cost you

no more then 10 THB/night

[WhizBang]

I live in a large west facing condo. The livingroom is a glass wall facing west. So once noon rolls around, that glass wall gets the sun until it sets.

To mitigate the heat, I added a second glass wall. It helped A LOT. But not enough to avoid needing the AC.

My average monthly electric bill is around 5000 baht. I run 2 AC. One in the bedroom at night when I sleep, and one in the livingroom during the day/evening when I am home. I should add that my livingroom is larger than 40 sq.m.

Only in April and May does the AC in the livingroom struggle.

Hope that helps.

[wump]

I pay 8 baht per unit and my last bill was 5,300 baht. Aircon is on 14 hours a day and set to 25-57 degrees (never lower), my room is only some 20 square metres. But then again my room is facing west and the unit is rather old .

Back in Bangkok in my rather new 37 square metre condo I paid 1,000-1,500 a month with the aircon nearly running 24/7 at 23-26 degrees (paid the government rate though). So I guess the age of the unit and the orientation towards the sun really do matter.

Edited May 16, 2014 by MaikB84

[cheshiremusicman]

Use black-out curtains when you're out.

Preferably, curtains with a silver 'foil' outward facing surface. Definitely NOT Black - this will only add to your problem by absorbing even more heat.

Your calculations are quite simple, just work on the premise that the A/C is running 100% flat out all the time and multiply the wattage by the hours which will give you Kilowatt hours and multiply this by the cost of a Kwh that you are being charged. This will give you the top end figure.

[attrayant]

1 KW/hr cost 4 THB your aircon run at 770 W so it cost around 3 THB/hr

if the compressor run all time it's no more then 20 THB/night or daytime

working in the night on 27 C maybe it work only 50% so I think it cost you

no more then 10 THB/night

Calculating from the rated power of the unit is problematic, because the compressor isn't always running.

I put kWh meters on the two rooms that I use a/c in (so I can pay the inlaws every month). In the bedroom (about 25m²) I turn it on around 9pm and off around 7am, so that's about ten hours per day. Typically set to 27° all night long. Each night I draw about 6 kWh (about 25 baht). Based on numbers that others are posting this seems high to me, so I'm not sure if that's because it's a very old a/c or some other factor.

[henksteeghsth]

On your aircon with that use about 40 to 45 BHT pro night

[T_Dog]

1 KW/hr cost 4 THB your aircon run at 770 W so it cost around 3 THB/hr

if the compressor run all time it's no more then 20 THB/night or daytime

working in the night on 27 C maybe it work only 50% so I think it cost you

no more then 10 THB/night

Calculating from the rated power of the unit is problematic, because the compressor isn't always running.

I put kWh meters on the two rooms that I use a/c in (so I can pay the inlaws every month). In the bedroom (about 25m²) I turn it on around 9pm and off around 7am, so that's about ten hours per day. Typically set to 27° all night long. Each night I draw about 6 kWh (about 25 baht). Based on numbers that others are posting this seems high to me, so I'm not sure if that's because it's a very old a/c or some other factor.

I think a lot of posters are assuming that their AC is the majority of their electrical bill. For us, it is the electric shower heater. I figure it runs only for an accumulated one hour a day, but at 6000 watts, that adds up to 720 baht each month for hot water versus the 260 baht each month for AC I mentioned earlier. Makes a good case for solar water heating!

Edited May 16, 2014 by T_Dog

[notmyself]

600 Baht a month.

[thejcb]

This is why I can't live in Thailand anymore. It's just too hot. It's not the room I want to cool down, it's the whole country.

How much would it cost to to bring Isaan down to 24c during the summer, only daytime hours of course.

[Greg Nixon]

I am paying about 1300 ThB / month. About the same size but i do not face the sun, however the room and bathroom are open to the upper two bedrooms which are pretty hot. Outside temperature 36 Inside temp 25 to 27. I have placed styrofoam slabs in the windows to add insulation. they are completely blocked but the light still comes in well. Heavy drapes inside should help. Bamboo screens on the windows outside will cool the home considerably. I am considering using magic board instead because believe it or not locating bamboo shades is not easy in my area. In Canada my parents had a home with a large picture window facing due south. there living room was hot for many years. Then they purchased these great bamboo shades for this window and the master bedroom window. The house cooled by 10 F on hot days. What a difference. This would definitely help the cost of electricity.

Some people use aluminium foil (at Lotus) to block the sun and that with styrofoam (4 foot x 8 foot sheets for 35 THB) at a teacher store would likely be the most cost effective.

[khunPer]

My guess: 250 to 350 baht/month.

770W x 6h = 4.62kWh / 2 = 2.31kWh x 4baht = 9.24baht/night ~ around 10baht/day, probably less when temperature set high (27 celsius).

For average use you can normally count half the rated power if not cooling to a (very) low temperature, i.e. 770W / 2 = aprox 385W.

I can hardly feel if the aircons are running or not on my electric bill – Okay I use inverter aircons eating little less power – the power consumers are water pumps (pool etc. running all or most of the time), TV (old TV set or big plasma TV use as much as a modern bedroom aircon average use), water heaters (especially when long hot showers), cookers (like rice cooker or water heater running all day – and night), freezer/fridge (depending on size and how often opened), and lighting actually also use quite a bit if not LED's or energy saver bulbs...

Edited May 16, 2014 by khunPer

[PattayaPhom]

Move out on the balcony for some wind, probably bigger area than you have inside

[Wombat6]

That kinda depends if you pay straight to the electricity company or if you pay a special condo rate. Personally I use a lot of power but that 1000 or 2000 bt a on top of my normal bill gives me a lot of comfort. I currently run aircon 24/7

They said to me I should pay for the electric and water at 7/11, and only pay the rent to the condo owners. I assume that means I'm probably on the government rate.

BTW if it makes any difference, the condo is in Samut Prakan.

Your lucky, my Condo I'm paying triple the government rate but I knew that when I moved in because the condo was underpriced and they make up for that in the bills..

You will be on the Govt rates if you can pay in 7/11 and not some greedy landlord lol

So, any idea how much it might cost to run my aircon unit?

The best answer to your question is to wait for your first Bill.

[ppmacready]

T-492. Assuming you pay 4 baht per unit of electricity, here is what it would cost if it ran at a 100 % duty cycle and all day and night:

770/1000 units/hr * 24 hrs use per day * 30 days * 4 baht per unit = 2217 baht per month.

If you have a different electric rate than 4, just substitute that rate in above. Usually, air conditioners do not cool all the time, so if you have a gut feel for what percentage of the time the compressor is running, like 50%, just multiply the cost by that percentage. The room circulation fan only draws about 50 watts which does not amount to much cost.

Our 12,000 BTU AC draws 1050 watts when it is running but luckily it only runs at about a 20% duty cycle. Here is a calculation for that duty cycle, and for only running it ten hours at night like we do:

1050/1000 units/hr * 10 hrs use per day * 30 days * 4 baht per unit * .20 = 252 baht per month

2000 - 2500 baht per month is my educated guess.

I assume you meant 2520.

[watcharacters]

.

Run 2 air cons nearly 24/7 @ 17 degrees along with floor fans.

House is a 3/2 and so far bill has never exceeded 4,000 THB.

The house is always cool.

[T_Dog]

T-492. Assuming you pay 4 baht per unit of electricity, here is what it would cost if it ran at a 100 % duty cycle and all day and night:

770/1000 units/hr * 24 hrs use per day * 30 days * 4 baht per unit = 2217 baht per month.

If you have a different electric rate than 4, just substitute that rate in above. Usually, air conditioners do not cool all the time, so if you have a gut feel for what percentage of the time the compressor is running, like 50%, just multiply the cost by that percentage. The room circulation fan only draws about 50 watts which does not amount to much cost.

Our 12,000 BTU AC draws 1050 watts when it is running but luckily it only runs at about a 20% duty cycle. Here is a calculation for that duty cycle, and for only running it ten hours at night like we do:

1050/1000 units/hr * 10 hrs use per day * 30 days * 4 baht per unit * .20 = 252 baht per month

2000 - 2500 baht per month is my educated guess.

I assume you meant 2520.

No, it is indeed about 260 baht a month for AC. No sun hits our bedroom walls and it has low ceilings so it is easy to cool. The water heater is our biggest cost at about 720 baht per month. Our total bill per month is between 1300-1500 baht. Everyone's situation is different based on hours of usage, sun coming in, hot walls, rental uplift, and volume of space to cool. I spent nearly 3000 baht a month for cooling in a condo years ago with high uplift and a very inefficient systems.

[Benmart]

My condo is similar, but has blackout curtains and double glazed, thermal windows. I run the ac 4-5 hours max. My electric bill runs 4-600 Baht. I cool the place down, shut the ac, off and use the ac/fan intermittently.

Good luck my friend.

[Fookhaht]

around 1000 a month will cover it..

I'm cooling a similar sized area, facing the sun, using the government rate for electricity. Mine runs 7pm to 7am weekdays and 24 hrs on weekends.

My guess is between 1000 and 1500 per month for you.

[RayHope]

I've been a Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineer for 45 years now, and it's not the first time this question has come up. You rightly identify your condo as a glass house and there in is most of your trouble. heat comes in through the window glass, walls floors and ceilings that are exposes to a temperature higher than your required room temperature heat from appliances and numbers of people and their activity. some one posted a recommendation that you get blackout curtains and that would be a good start, you can get a reflective film to attach to the glass, that would help as well, although you might be on a collision course with the managers of the building WHEN if they notice it, could take a while, and in the mean time you would get the benefit of it. if at night time the outdoor temperature, drops to the sort of temperature you want then turn the air off and open the windows. Big C are now selling fans with atomisers that give you a water mist that is cooling, but the humidity will go when you use it.

Any way to answer your question your A/C is rated at 770 Watts that’s 77% of a kilowatt per hour COMPRESSOR (Big noisy lump outside) RUNNING. So its RUN time X (77% X cost per unit) I assume you are aware that there are 1,000 Watts to a kilo watt. and a kilowatt hour costs about 4.28 TB) inc. government tax.

Your best way of checking this is to take an electric meter reading just before you turn the A/C on and then again when you turn it off, but remember that there are other things that use power too from lights, fans TV and various assesarys that go with it, fridge and the cooker, water boiler etc, so make a good go of it, turn everything off except the fridge run your test for an hour or two and then do the calculation, you will then have enough info to make an informed choice, remember that the night time is cooler than the daytime, my A/C runs for about 10% of the time at night and in the heat of the day rarely turns off (max money then). Sorry I can’t spell. Good luck, Ray