How Much Do Air Conditioners Cost to Run in Calgary and Chestermere?

When we speak with homeowners about repairing old air conditioners or installing new high-efficiency AC’s—we’re often asked the same question:

How much will that air conditioner cost to run?

With hydro bills ever increasing, homeowners want to (rightfully) know how much they can expect to spend on air conditioning costs each month.

To determine the exact amount air conditioners cost to operate, you need to know a number of factors including the equipment size, electric rate, cooling hours and SEER rating. For our purposes in the Calgary and Chestermere area, based on our local temperature and energy prices, we use the following approximation with our homeowners:

How Much Does a 16 Seer Air Conditioner Cost?

• Most 16 SEER systems cost approximately 20 cents/hour to run

How Much Does a 14 Seer Air Conditioner Cost?

• Most 14 SEER systems cost approximately 35 cents/hour to run.

That means on the hottest days in the Calgary area—where the AC is on for about 10 hours a day—the average 16 SEER air conditioner costs only $2.00/day to run! For less than a Village Ice Cream cone, you can keep your whole home cool and comfortable!

Older, inefficient units use a lot more electricity to run and can significantly contribute to increased monthly energy bills. Cooling systems from the late 1990s have an average SEER rating of 10 while the early 90s were averaging an 8 SEER. As the SEER increases, the energy usage for the same amount of cooling decreases proportionately. So an AC from the early 1990s would cost twice as much to run as a 16 SEER air conditioner installed today.

After homeowners replace their old and inefficient cooling systems with new, energy efficient air conditioners, they’re often shocked at how their monthly energy bills are reduced.

If your hydro bills are skyrocketing when you turn on the AC—it’s probably time to consider installing a new cooling system.

JPS Furnace is a family business and our uncompromising commitment to our customers’ satisfaction has been a foundation for our success and what sets us apart from our competitors.

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Proudly serving the Calgary, Chestermere, Airdrie and Cochran areas.