How much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner? (2026 price cap)
At the GB-average Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, a portable air conditioner rated at 1.2kW costs 32p an hour to run and around £692 a year assuming 6 hours a day in summer.
Per hour
32p
Per typical use
£1.90
Per day
£1.90
Per week
£13.30
Per year
£692
Typical rating and how we worked this out
This page uses a typical rating of 1.2kW for a portable air conditioner; published figures for this appliance range from 700W to 2kW. A portable air conditioner's power draw scales with its cooling capacity (BTU rating): roughly 850–1,000W for a 9,000 BTU unit up to 1,500–2,000W for a 14,000 BTU unit; this page uses a mid-size 1.2kW figure. The running cost follows the same formula used across this site: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. Typical use is modelled as 6 hours a day in summer, which is how the per-day, per-week and per-year figures above were calculated — see the cost-to-run calculator to change the wattage, hours or region yourself.
Rate used: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average electricity — 26.32p/kWh (excl. VAT, removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027).
Cost by region
Same appliance, same use — ranked most to least expensive by region under the price cap:
| Region | Elec p/kWh | Cost per hour | Typical annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86 | 33p | £732 |
| South Eastern England | 26.88 | 32p | £706 |
| Eastern England | 26.61 | 32p | £699 |
| London | 26.60 | 32p | £699 |
| South Western England | 26.58 | 32p | £699 |
| Southern Wales | 26.55 | 32p | £698 |
| North Western England | 26.49 | 32p | £696 |
| Southern England | 26.47 | 32p | £696 |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35 | 32p | £692 |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11 | 31p | £686 |
| West Midlands | 25.60 | 31p | £673 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60 | 31p | £673 |
| North Eastern England | 25.46 | 31p | £669 |
| East Midlands | 25.36 | 30p | £666 |
| Great Britain average | 26.32 | 32p | £692 |
East Midlands is cheapest at £666 a year; Merseyside and Northern Wales is most expensive at £732 a year — a gap of £65.70 for identical use.
How a portable air conditioner compares with similar appliances
Ranked by typical annual cost in heating & cooling, GB average:
- portable air conditioner — £692 a year (this page)
- hot tub — £769 a year
- oil-filled radiator — £576 a year
- electric fan heater (2kW) — £384 a year
- electric fireplace — £346 a year
- immersion heater — £288 a year
Three practical ways to cut the cost
- Size the unit to the room — an oversized unit cycles on and off inefficiently, an undersized one runs constantly
- Close curtains and blinds during the hottest part of the day to cut the cooling load beforehand
- Seal the exhaust hose gap in the window kit properly — a poor seal lets warm air back in continuously
FAQs
- How much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner for an hour?
- 32p at the GB-average rate (26.32p/kWh, 1.2kW). One typical use — 6 hours a day in summer — costs closer to £1.90.
- How much does a portable air conditioner cost to run per year?
- Around £692 a year at the GB-average rate, assuming 6 hours a day in summer — about £13.30 a week.
- Which UK region is cheapest to run a portable air conditioner in?
- East Midlands, at £666 a year, against £732 in Merseyside and Northern Wales — £65.70 apart for identical use, purely from the regional rate.
- Does the exact wattage of my portable air conditioner change the cost much?
- Yes — ratings range 700W–2kW, so the top of that range costs about 2.9x the bottom. This page uses 1.2kW; check your own rating plate.
- Does the October 2026 price cap affect this figure?
- Yes — figures use the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Electricity excludes VAT (removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027); gas includes 5%. See the price cap page for the full breakdown.
Sources
- Air Conditioner UK — portable air conditioner running cost — wattage and usage figures for this appliance.
- Ofgem — Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (regional tables, read 12 September 2026).
Related
- Cost-to-run calculator and full A–Z — check any appliance or enter a custom wattage.
- Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 — every region, every payment method.
- Back-billing calculator — if a bill for this or any appliance looks like it covers too many months.
- Free bill audit — if your overall energy costs look high regardless of any one appliance.
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