Data through April 2026
Cost to run · District of Columbia · 25.4¢/kWh residential average
How much does it cost to run a room air conditioner in District of Columbia?
$135/yr · median certified model
At 25.4¢/kWh, District of Columbia ranks among the priciest states for power. The typical certified room air conditioner runs about $135 annually here, which makes choosing an efficient model worth actual dollars, not rounding error.
In the national ranking, District of Columbia lands at 42 of 51 for what a room air conditioner costs to run. Model choice matters as much as geography: at District of Columbia rates the most efficient certified model (TCL T05WV9M) costs $70 a year while the most power-hungry (Friedrich KCVL36B30A) costs $533 — a spread of $463 every year. For reference, the national extremes are North Dakota (12.3¢/kWh) and Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh); the same median room air conditioner would cost $66 and $248 a year there.
The cheapest room air conditioners to run at District of Columbia rates
| # | Model | kWh/yr | $/yr in DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TCL T05WV9M | 274 | $70 |
| 2 | TCL T05WV9MB | 274 | $70 |
| 3 | TCL T05WV9R | 274 | $70 |
| 4 | TCL T05WV9RB | 274 | $70 |
| 5 | TCL W5WC72 | 274 | $70 |
| 6 | TCL W5WC72-B | 274 | $70 |
| 7 | TCL W5WC72M | 274 | $70 |
| 8 | TCL W5WC72M-B | 274 | $70 |
| 9 | LG LW6023IVSMmost efficient | 290 | $74 |
| 10 | Midea MAW06U1QWTmost efficient | 298 | $76 |
Price any model at District of Columbia rates
Your rate, your numbers
- Per day
- 37¢
- Per month
- $11.27
- Per year
- $135
532 kWh/yr × 25.4¢/kWh = $135/yr
Prefilled with the median certified room air conditioner (532 kWh/yr). Every model page on this site carries its exact certified figure.
Questions, answered with the data
- How much does it cost to run a room air conditioner in District of Columbia?
- About $135 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner, at District of Columbia's average residential rate of 25.4¢/kWh — that's $11.26 a month.
- Is electricity expensive in District of Columbia?
- District of Columbia's residential average of 25.4¢/kWh is 35% above the U.S. average of 18.8¢/kWh, ranking 42 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).
- What's the cheapest room air conditioner to run in District of Columbia?
- Among currently certified models, the TCL T05WV9M costs the least at about $70 a year at District of Columbia rates (274 kWh/yr).
- How does District of Columbia compare with other states?
- The same median room air conditioner costs $66 a year in North Dakota (the cheapest state) and $248 in Hawaii (the priciest). District of Columbia sits at $135.
Keep digging
- All certified room air conditioners compared
- Room Air Conditioners costs in New Jersey (rank 40 of 51)
- Room Air Conditioners costs in Vermont (rank 41 of 51)
- Room Air Conditioners costs in New Hampshire (rank 43 of 51)
- Room Air Conditioners costs in Alaska (rank 44 of 51)
- Running an air purifier in District of Columbia
- Running a clothes dryer in District of Columbia
- Running a clothes washer in District of Columbia
- Running a computer monitor in District of Columbia
Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.