In American homes, 50% of the energy bill is made up of the heating and cooling costs. When the proportion is so large, wanting to calculate your air conditioning monthly energy cost is but natural. Thanks to the power savings rendered by the modern HVAC systems, the bills are now not as high as they were earlier. But, that does not mean they have become so low that you can completely ignore the heating and cooling costs.
SEER Rating
The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute or the AHRI gave the concept of SEER rating or the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. From a layman point of view, it is sufficient to say that a higher SEER rating means higher savings. SEER is a measure of the seasonal energy efficiency of the air conditioner and the heat pump. Modern HVAC systems have a SEER value between 13 to 21, with 21 being the best.
An AC with a high SEER rating consumes less power to maintain a cozy and comfortable temperature. That is why it costs less to run an HVAC system with a higher SEER rating. With an HVAC system having a SEER rating of 13, you can save nearly 38% of your energy costs, and for a system with 21 SEER, the saving will be as high as 62%.
Here is a chart that better depicts the energy savings with respect to the increasing SEER value:
| SEER Rating | Energy Saving |
| 13 SEER | 38% |
| 15 SEER | 47% |
| 16 SEER | 50% |
| 18 SEER | 56% |
| 20 SEER | 60% |
| 21 SEER | 62% |
You will notice that the jump in energy savings between two consecutive SEER values is not high. But if you skip a few in between, the difference in savings between the two extreme SEER values is quite impressive.
Ideal SEER Rating For Homes
Things like the size of your home, the local climate, condition of the ductwork, and such have a bearing on the overall efficiency of the HVAC system. Most homes will be able to maintain a comfortable atmosphere inside with an HVAC system having a SEER rating of 13 or above. Anything less would mean that you have purchased a technology that is fast getting outdated and obsolete.
Calculating Your Air Conditioning Monthly Energy Cost
There are many online calculators available that will help you calculate your air conditioning monthly energy cost. These calculators figure out the total power consumption of your HVAC and multiply it with the rate per kilowatt-hour for calculating the monthly energy cost.
Terms You Need To Know To Use The Monthly Energy Calculator
If you have no prior technical knowledge using the online monthly energy calculator becomes a little tricky. So we will first spare a few minutes to understand the electrical and power terms that you may come across.
1. Ton – The size or the cooling capacity of an AC is given in tons. In other words, the capacity of an air conditioner refers to the heat that it can remove. The tonnage of the AC is quite prominently displayed on the label.
2. BTU – British Thermal Unit is the same as a ton. If for some reason, you cannot find the AC capacity in tons, the chances are that it will be mentioned in BTU. One BTU is the total energy needed by the AC to cool a pound of water by just one degree Fahrenheit. Now, if the tons is given but not the BTU, you can calculate that by multiplying the tons with 12,000.
3. Kilowatt-Hour – 1,000 watts is equal to 1 kilowatt, and the number of kilowatts used in an hour is the kilowatt-hour. You can find this value in the meter reading and also on the electricity bills.
Hourly Consumption Rates
Along with the SEER rating, the heat capacity of the AC is also given. Both these values are required to calculate the power needs of the AC. Heat capacity is provided in BTU. When you have successfully located both the BTU and The SEER value, divide the BTU by the SEER rating. It will give you the watts that your air conditioner uses in an hour. For example, if your AC has 36,000 BTU and 15 SEER, it will use 2,400 watts in an hour.
Monthly Energy Cost
Now that the hard part is over and you know the hourly energy consumption rate, the rest of the calculation is straightforward. Say you run your AC for 10 hours a day. Multiply the hourly energy consumption rate of 2,400 by 10. Multiply the result by 30, and you will get the monthly energy consumption rate. The calculation will look something like this:
2,400 watts x 10 hours per day = 24,000 watts
24,000 watts x 30 days = 720,000 watts or 720 kilowatt-hour per month
To arrive at the monthly cost, multiply the monthly energy consumption rate with the pricing of your energy company. The value you get is the actual financial implication of running your AC each month in terms of energy consumption.
Concluding Thoughts
Air conditioning running costs are a thing of concern for households who want to lower their energy bills. Figuring out how much money you spend on running your AC each month may look like a wasteful activity. But when you do it for a few months, you will get a more in-depth insight into your AC usage. For all you may know, this little activity may help you figure out times when your AC was running unnecessarily and further help you cut your energy bills. Make your home a green home by being conscious of your energy usage.
Aztil AC West Palm Beach
Aztil AC is an elite team of HVAC professionals in West Palm Beach, Florida. We are dedicated to serving you in all things HVAC. Whether it be maintenance, repair, or queries, you can contact us anytime. We provide 24/7 emergency services and can be reached anytime at +1-888-729-8452.
