Is electricity expensive in North Dakota?

North Dakota's residential average of 12.3¢/kWh is 34% below the U.S. average of 18.8¢/kWh, ranking 1 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).

What's the cheapest room air conditioner to run in North Dakota?

Among currently certified models, the TCL T05WV9M costs the least at about $34 a year at North Dakota rates (274 kWh/yr).

How does North Dakota 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). North Dakota sits at $66.

Data through April 2026

Cost to run · North Dakota · 12.3¢/kWh residential average

How much does it cost to run a room air conditioner in North Dakota?

$66/yr · median certified model

North Dakota's 12.3¢/kWh rate undercuts the national average by 34%, so the typical certified room air conditioner costs roughly $66 a year here instead of $100.

That makes North Dakota the #1 cheapest of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions for running a room air conditioner. Model choice matters as much as geography: at North Dakota rates the most efficient certified model (TCL T05WV9M) costs $34 a year while the most power-hungry (Friedrich KCVL36B30A) costs $259 — a spread of $225 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.

North Dakota

$66

US average

$100

North Dakota

$66

Hawaii

$248

Median certified room air conditioner (532 kWh/yr) per year, at each rate

The cheapest room air conditioners to run at North Dakota rates

Top 10 by certified kWh, priced at 12.3¢/kWh
#	Model	kWh/yr	$/yr in ND
1	TCL T05WV9M	274	$34
2	TCL T05WV9MB	274	$34
3	TCL T05WV9R	274	$34
4	TCL T05WV9RB	274	$34
5	TCL W5WC72	274	$34
6	TCL W5WC72-B	274	$34
7	TCL W5WC72M	274	$34
8	TCL W5WC72M-B	274	$34
9	LG LW6023IVSMmost efficient	290	$36
10	Midea MAW06U1QWTmost efficient	298	$37

Price any model at North Dakota rates

Your rate, your numbers

Annual use (kWh)

Electricity rate

Per day: 18¢
Per month: $5.48
Per year: $66

532 kWh/yr × 12.3¢/kWh = $66/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 North Dakota?: About $66 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner, at North Dakota's average residential rate of 12.3¢/kWh — that's $5.47 a month.
Is electricity expensive in North Dakota?: North Dakota's residential average of 12.3¢/kWh is 34% below the U.S. average of 18.8¢/kWh, ranking 1 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).
What's the cheapest room air conditioner to run in North Dakota?: Among currently certified models, the TCL T05WV9M costs the least at about $34 a year at North Dakota rates (274 kWh/yr).
How does North Dakota 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). North Dakota sits at $66.

Keep digging

Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.