Cooling · Louisiana
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Window Air Conditioner in Louisiana?
The short answer
A typical 900W window air conditioner costs about $0.11 per hour to run in Louisiana, or $27.86 a month at 8 hours a day.
The estimate uses Louisiana’s average residential electricity price of 12.7¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 31% below the national average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Window Air Conditioner cost by daily use in Louisiana
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour/day | 27.4 | $0.11 | $3.48 | $41.79 |
| 2 hours/day | 54.8 | $0.23 | $6.96 | $83.57 |
| 4 hours/day | 109.5 | $0.46 | $13.93 | $167 |
| 8 hours/day | 219.0 | $0.92 | $27.86 | $334 |
| 12 hours/day | 328.5 | $1.37 | $41.79 | $501 |
| 24 hours/day | 657.1 | $2.75 | $83.58 | $1,003 |
Louisiana vs other states
Louisiana has the cheapest electricity in the country — the same window air conditioner would cost $927 more a year in Hawaii.
Louisiana has the cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Louisiana price per kWh · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in Louisiana
12.7¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▼ −3.0% from a year earlier.
How to lower the cost of running a window air conditioner
Window air conditioners cool a single room and are far cheaper to run than central AC when you only need one or two rooms cool. Wattage scales with capacity: small 5,000 BTU units draw around 450–500W, a 10,000 BTU unit around 900W, and large 15,000+ BTU units 1,300–1,500W. ENERGY STAR models with inverter compressors can use 20–35% less. The compressor cycles with the thermostat, so enter the hours it actually runs.
- Pick the right size — an oversized unit cycles constantly and dehumidifies poorly.
- Seal the gaps around the unit with foam strips to keep hot air out.
- Clean the washable filter every two weeks in peak season.
- Long, hot summers in Louisiana mean cooling equipment can run most of the day from May through September — try 10–12 hours above to see a peak-month cost.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a window air conditioner for 24 hours in Louisiana?
Running a 900W window air conditioner for 24 hours uses about 21.6 kWh, which costs about $2.75 at Louisiana’s average rate of 12.7¢/kWh.
How many kWh does a window air conditioner use per month?
At 8 hours a day, a typical window air conditioner uses about 219 kWh a month. In Louisiana that costs $27.86.
Is it expensive to run a window air conditioner in Louisiana?
Louisiana has the cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 12.7¢/kWh — one of the cheapest. Running a window air conditioner here costs about $334 a year at typical use, compared with $481 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in Louisiana right now?
The average residential electricity rate in Louisiana was 12.7¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — down 3.0% from a year earlier.
Is a window AC cheaper to run than central air?
For cooling one or two rooms, yes. A 900W window unit uses about a quarter of the power of a typical 3,500W central system.
Window Air Conditioner costs in nearby states
Other appliances in Louisiana
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for window air conditioner: 8 hours a day. Typical power 900W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).