Portable Air Conditioner
A practical portable air conditioner (7000 BTU, 4-in-1) for proper, portable cooling around the home.
Do Portable Air Conditioners Use a Lot of Electricity?
Cooling uses more power than heating fans, so it's sensible to ask what a portable air conditioner costs to run. Here's the picture.
Quick answer
Portable air conditioners use a fair amount of electricity - more than a fan, though not enormous. A typical unit draws around 1,000-1,500 watts while cooling, so running one for several hours a day on hot spells adds a noticeable but manageable amount to your bill, depending on the model's wattage and your tariff.
Why they draw more
Unlike a fan, a portable air conditioner runs a compressor to actively remove heat, which needs real power. The bigger and more powerful the unit (higher BTU), the more it draws. Once the room reaches the set temperature, many units cycle the compressor on and off, which reduces the average draw.
Keeping running costs down
Choose a unit sized to the room (an oversized one wastes energy, an undersized one runs constantly), seal the window around the exhaust hose so cool air isn't wasted, close curtains against the sun, and use a timer or thermostat so it isn't cooling an empty room. Check the wattage on the model you're considering to estimate the cost.
Our top picks
#1
#2 
Dreo Smart 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioner
A practical portable air conditioner (10000 BTU, 3-in-1) for proper, portable cooling around the home.
#3 
Portable Air Conditioner
A practical portable air conditioner (14000 BTU) for proper, portable cooling around the home.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a portable air conditioner?
It depends on the unit's wattage (often 1,000-1,500W) and your tariff, but running one for several hours on a hot day adds a noticeable amount to the bill - more than a fan, less than heating a whole home.
Do portable air conditioners use more electricity than a fan?
Yes, considerably - a fan only moves air and uses very little power, while a portable air conditioner runs a compressor to remove heat, which draws much more.
How can I reduce a portable air conditioner's running cost?
Size it to the room, seal the exhaust-hose window gap, close curtains against the sun, and use a thermostat or timer so it isn't cooling when it doesn't need to.
Bottom line
Our top pick is the Portable Air Conditioner (our score 9.6/10) - A practical portable air conditioner (7000 BTU, 4-in-1) for proper, portable cooling around the home..