Air conditioner power consumption: how much are you using?
As anyone who has seen their electric bill skyrocket in the summer will know, your air conditioner power consumption can be a big, unpredictable cost. To try and understand your costs, you can start with your AC unit’s power rating (check the label on the condensing unit), which will tell you how much power it uses under perfect conditions. In real life, conditions are rarely as consistent as that.
There are many factors that affect how efficient your AC is and how much power it uses, including age and condition of the unit, the layout of your space, design of the air ducts, how air-tight the space is, and of course the weather. That’s why calculating your expenses is never an exact science.
