Data through April 2026
Cost to run · Virginia · 17.4¢/kWh residential average
How much does it cost to run a room air conditioner in Virginia?
$92/yr · median certified model
Electricity in Virginia is priced within a few percent of the U.S. average — 17.4¢/kWh — which puts the typical certified room air conditioner at about $92 annually, essentially the national number.
In the national ranking, Virginia lands at 30 of 51 for what a room air conditioner costs to run. Model choice matters as much as geography: at Virginia rates the most efficient certified model (TCL T05WV9M) costs $48 a year while the most power-hungry (Friedrich KCVL36B30A) costs $364 — a spread of $317 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 Virginia rates
| # | Model | kWh/yr | $/yr in VA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TCL T05WV9M | 274 | $48 |
| 2 | TCL T05WV9MB | 274 | $48 |
| 3 | TCL T05WV9R | 274 | $48 |
| 4 | TCL T05WV9RB | 274 | $48 |
| 5 | TCL W5WC72 | 274 | $48 |
| 6 | TCL W5WC72-B | 274 | $48 |
| 7 | TCL W5WC72M | 274 | $48 |
| 8 | TCL W5WC72M-B | 274 | $48 |
| 9 | LG LW6023IVSMmost efficient | 290 | $50 |
| 10 | Midea MAW06U1QWTmost efficient | 298 | $52 |
Price any model at Virginia rates
Your rate, your numbers
- Per day
- 25¢
- Per month
- $7.71
- Per year
- $92
532 kWh/yr × 17.4¢/kWh = $92/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 Virginia?
- About $92 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner, at Virginia's average residential rate of 17.4¢/kWh — that's $7.70 a month.
- Is electricity expensive in Virginia?
- Virginia's residential average of 17.4¢/kWh is 8% below the U.S. average of 18.8¢/kWh, ranking 30 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).
- What's the cheapest room air conditioner to run in Virginia?
- Among currently certified models, the TCL T05WV9M costs the least at about $48 a year at Virginia rates (274 kWh/yr).
- How does Virginia 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). Virginia sits at $92.
Keep digging
- All certified room air conditioners compared
- Room Air Conditioners costs in Texas (rank 28 of 51)
- Room Air Conditioners costs in South Carolina (rank 29 of 51)
- Room Air Conditioners costs in Alabama (rank 31 of 51)
- Room Air Conditioners costs in Indiana (rank 32 of 51)
- Running an air purifier in Virginia
- Running a clothes dryer in Virginia
- Running a clothes washer in Virginia
- Running a computer monitor in Virginia
Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.