Will my electricity bill really be 42% higher? How much does an air conditioner consume in cooling mode? How much does an air conditioner consume in heating mode? These are the questions we are trying to answer in the following lines, stay tuned!
I have read several articles on the internet that prove that after installing an air conditioner, there will be a significant extra cost on your electricity bill. I don't deny that electricity consumption can indeed be significant for less modern air conditioners, but a modern inverter air conditioner is very energy efficient. How much? Let's do the math!
Cooling power vs. electrical power
Since the air conditioner is essentially a heat pump, the power input is not the same as the power output. For example, a split air conditioner with a cooling capacity of 3500 watts draws roughly 1000 watts from the mains.
Cooling mode
In this setting, the efficiency of the air conditioner is determined by the so-called SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio). For example, if the SEER of the unit is 6, it will draw 583 W from the mains to deliver 3500 W of cooling power. This means that at 38 Ft/KWh electricity price, the air conditioner „eats” 22 Ft per hour for 1 hour. BUT the air conditioner is not running continuously at its maximum power, but as it approaches the desired temperature the inverter will downscale and run at a much lower consumption level in the long run. If we calculate 10 hours of intensive use per day, the cost will be about 200 Ft, and for a month we can expect 5000-6000 Ft. If we count on a very hot summer season, the air conditioner will consume 15 000-20 000 Ft during the whole season. This is a rather exaggerated figure, the typical consumption is 200 KWh per year in cooling mode, which means a cost of less than 10 000 HUF. In return, we get many sleepless nights and reduced stress, which contributes to our daily efficiency and long-term health.
Heating mode
Here, seasonal efficiency is represented by the SCOP (seasonal heating energy ratio). The SCOP of an average air conditioner is 4, so the maximum hourly consumption in heating mode is around 38 Ft. It should also be taken into account that in Hungary more heating is needed than cooling, so the air conditioner will run more in heating mode and therefore its consumption will be higher compared to cooling mode. An air conditioner in heating mode consumes roughly 1000 kWh of electricity per year, which means an annual cost of 38 000 HUF. It should be added that the other heating modes are all more expensive, not to mention how much more polluting they are.
Maintenance
When looking at the annual costs, it is also important to consider the annual maintenance costs. If the equipment is only used in cooling mode, 1 maintenance per year is recommended, in cooling and heating mode 2 per year. The maintenance of an air conditioner varies between 10 000 and 15 000 HUF depending on its pollution
Summary
If the air conditioner only runs in cooling mode, the annual cost is 20 000 - 25 000 HUF, while in cooling-heating mode you have to spend 70 000 - 80 000 HUF per year.