Aircon Electricity Cost Calculator: Cost per Hour, Night and Month
3.52 kW of cooling. Bedrooms usually take 9,000 to 12,000 BTU; size a room with our aircon BTU calculator.
Assumption: 50% for an inverter that has cooled the room, 70% for a non-inverter cycling on and off. Hot rooms and low set temperatures push it up.
How you use it
Same use, different energy labels
- 4 ticks COP 4.86S$27.06/mo
- 5 ticks COP 5.50S$23.91/mo
- Older unit COP 3.00S$43.84/mo
A 5-tick unit saves S$16.78 a month over an older COP 3.0 unit at this usage, or S$201 a year.
Running cost scales with the electricity rate. On an Open Electricity Market plan, multiply the kWh by your plan's price instead.
Cost per 8-hour night
S$0.80
- Per hour
- S$0.10
- Per month (30 days)
- S$23.91
- Per year
- S$287
- kWh per month
- 77
- Average power drawn
- 0.32 kW
- Rated input power per unit
- 0.64 kW
How this works
Cooling capacity in BTU/h is converted to kW (1 kW = 3,412 BTU/h) and divided by the unit's efficiency (COP) to get the electrical input at full load. Under NEA's Energy Label, a 5-tick single-split aircon has a weighted COP (inverter) or full-load COP (non-inverter) of at least 5.50, and a 4-tick unit at least 4.86. An older unit is assumed to have a COP of 3.0.
Aircons rarely run at full power all night, so the full-load input is multiplied by an average load: an assumed 50% for an inverter that has cooled the room and 70% for a non-inverter cycling on and off. You can change it, or enter the rated input power in kW from the spec sheet instead.
Cost = average kW × hours × SP Group's regulated tariff of 31.16 cents per kWh including GST (28.59 cents before GST) for 1 October to 31 December 2026. To size an aircon for a room in the first place, use the aircon BTU calculator.
FAQs
How much does it cost to run aircon overnight in Singapore?
About S$0.80 for 8 hours with one 12,000 BTU 5-tick inverter unit, at 31.16 cents per kWh and an assumed 50% average load. That is about S$23.91 a month if used every night. A 4-tick unit costs about S$0.90 a night, and an older COP 3.0 unit about S$1.46.
How much does aircon cost per hour?
About 10 cents an hour for a 12,000 BTU 5-tick inverter unit at an assumed 50% average load (0.32 kW), and about 8 cents for a 9,000 BTU unit, at the October to December 2026 tariff.
Do 5-tick aircons really save money?
Yes, compared with older units. At the same use (12,000 BTU, 8 hours a night), a 5-tick unit at COP 5.50 costs about S$23.91 a month against S$43.84 for an older unit at COP 3.0, about S$239 a year less.
Is inverter or non-inverter aircon cheaper to run?
Inverters are usually cheaper because they slow the compressor down instead of switching it on and off. With the assumed loads here (50% vs 70%), a 12,000 BTU 4-tick inverter costs about S$0.90 a night against about S$1.26 for a 4-tick non-inverter.