What it costs where you live

Why this page exists

Every running-cost article in this category quotes a single national figure and moves on. That figure is a real number - the EIA publishes it monthly - but it hides the variable that dominates the answer.

Which is worth stating plainly, because it reframes the buying decision. Within the 50-pint class the certified efficiency spread is about ten percent. Your state is worth up to forty times that. If you are in a high-rate state, an efficient machine and a realistic humidity target are genuinely worth optimizing. In a low-rate state they are close to a rounding error.

Every state, with the monthly cost

The five cheapest and five most expensive

What to do with this if your rate is high

1. 1Size the machine correctly, first. An undersized unit runs 24 hours instead of 12, which doubles the bill. In Hawaii that is a $92 mistake every month. Sizing.
2. 2Set 50% rather than 40%. The last ten points of humidity are disproportionately expensive to hold, and the EPA's guidance band runs to 50 anyway.
3. 3Buy on IEF within the class. In a low-rate state the 2.01-to-2.20 spread is not worth paying much for. At 52 cents it repays quickly.
4. 4Seal the space. Free, and it reduces run time directly rather than reducing draw.
5. 5Check whether you are on a time-of-use tariff. If so, a unit with a schedule can move most of its running to off-peak hours. Several of the smart models do this.