Ever wonder what is the power consumption of a 1-ton split air conditioner or how much savings you can have by going with an inverter AC vs non-inverter AC or a 4-star AC vs a 5-star AC then you have come to the right place.

In this article, we will see in detail the power consumption of 1-ton air conditioners and also look at the cost to run them.

The power consumption of a 1-ton AC depends on a lot of factors like the temperature you run your AC, the outside temperature, type of AC, number of people in the room, how well the room is sealed, etc. Hence, it’s difficult to generalize.

However, If the temperature difference between your room and the atmosphere is below 10 degrees Celsius, the power consumption of a 1-ton split air conditioner can be between 638.5 kWh to 885 kWh, for 5 hours of daily operation throughout the year. This is roughly equal to 0.4 kWh to 0.6 kWh of electricity per hour.

And, if the temperature difference between your room and the atmosphere is above 15 degrees Celsius, the power consumption of a 1-ton split air conditioner can be between 1100 kWh to 1600 kWh, for the same 5 hours of daily operation throughout the year. This is roughly equal to 0.6 kWh to 1 kWh of electricity per hour.

Read the article to know in detail the power consumption of split air conditioners and how you can calculate your air conditioner’s power consumption.

This is a slightly lengthy article, hence feel free to skip to the part you are interested in.

There are basically three ways to calculate the power consumption of your 1-ton split AC:

1. Calculate the power consumption of a 1-ton split AC from wattage (Slightly difficult way)
2. Calculate the power consumption of a 1-ton split AC from the energy-saving label (The easiest way)
3. Calculate the power consumption of a 1-ton split AC using an energy meter (The most accurate way)

Let me show you each one with an example.

Calculate the power consumption of a 1-ton split AC from wattage:

The power consumption of a 1-ton split conditioner (for that matter any electrical appliance) depends upon two main things,

1. First is the wattage of your 1-ton AC and operational hours,
2. And second is your electricity tariff.

Let us quickly see what these terms are and how can you find the same for your AC.

What is The Wattage of 1 Ton Split AC:

The maximum wattage of a 1-ton split AC is around 1000 Watts; however, the wattage does not remain constant throughout the operation.

Let me show you how wattage varies in the case of both inverter and non-inverter AC.

Let’s say it’s 40 degrees Celsius outside, you turn ON your inverter AC and set the temperature to 24 degrees Celsius. Now as the room is hot, in just a minute the AC compressor will start running at its maximum power of around 1000 watts to cool the room as soon as possible.

But once the room temperature reaches 24 degrees Celsius the running wattage of the compressor drops down as less power is needed to cool the room (as it’s already cooled).

The drop in wattage can be as low as 200 watts to 800 watts.

Hence, an inverter air conditioner has a variable speed compressor that adjusts its speed and tonnage according to the cooling demand.

In the same scenario in a non-inverter AC, in just a minute the compressor will start running at its maximum power of around 1000 watts to cool the room as soon as possible.

However, once the room is cooled and the room temperature reaches 24 degrees Celsius, the compressor shuts down (at this point the wattage can be as low as 50 watts) and kicks back up once the room temperature increases 2 – 3 degrees above the set temperature.

Hence, a non-inverter air conditioner has a fixed-speed compressor that runs at maximum speed when cooling is needed and shuts down when the room is cooled.

It cannot adjust its speed and tonnage according to the cooling demand.

In both the air conditioners, in the first hour of operation, the compressor runs at its maximum wattage for pretty much the entire time to cool the room, but once the room is cooled the compressor runs at fewer watts (in the case of an inverter AC) or less frequently (in case of non-inverter AC).

Thus, in the first hour of operation, a 1-ton split AC consumes around 1 kWh of electricity, but as the room cools down, the power consumption goes down drastically as well. The power consumption can be as low as 0.4 kWh/hour to 0.8 kWh/hour.

Also, power consumption greatly depends on the temperature you set in your AC and the outside temperature. If the difference is large, then obviously power consumption will be higher, as the compressor will run at full power for more time to cool the room.

Vice versa, if the temperature difference is small, the power consumption is also small.

As a general rule of thumb, the average running wattage of a 1-ton split AC is between 600 watts to 900 watts. However, if you know the ISEER value of the AC you can calculate the wattage as well.

How To Calculate 1-Ton AC Wattage From ISEER:

The formula to calculate the wattage of an air conditioner for ISEER value is,

ISEER = Cooling capacity of the AC/Wattage (Energy consumed in one hour)

For example, the above image is of a 4-star 1-ton split AC from LG, its ISEER is 4.20, and its cooling capacity is around 3,320 Watts.

Hence, its wattage is 790.5 Watts (3,320 Watts/4.20).

Similarly, I have calculated the wattage of Samsung and LG 1-ton split air conditioners.

From the above table, it’s pretty clear that the wattage of a 1-ton split inverter AC is between 600 watts to 900 watts.

Also, the 600 Watts you see is just an average value, the wattage can easily go up to 900 Watts to 1000 Watts and down to something like 300 watts.

Now that we know the wattage of a 1-ton split AC, let’s see how to calculate the power consumption. This is slightly different for an AC than any other appliance.

Calculate 1 Ton Split AC Power Consumption:

Once you know the wattage of your 1-ton split AC you can calculate the power consumption by using this formula.

Power consumption of an appliance = Wattage of the appliance X operational hours

Operational hours in basically the number of hours you use your AC.

The above formula works fine for appliances without compressors like Ceiling fans, lights, and TVs. But, for appliances with compressors like your AC, there is a catch.

Because based on the room and ambient temperature the compressor will run for 50% of the time or 90 % to 100% of the time. Hence, we have to accommodate that in our calculation.

Generally, the bigger the temperature difference between the atmosphere and the room, the higher the power consumption, because the compressor of your AC will run for a long time to provide the necessary cooling.

The power consumption of an AC set at 24 degrees Celsius with an ambient temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, will be half of an AC set at 24 degrees Celsius with an ambient temperature of 45 degrees Celsius.

The same is true if we go down, the power consumption of an AC set at 24 degrees Celsius with an ambient temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, will be half of an AC set at 18 degrees Celsius with an ambient temperature of 35 degrees Celsius.

Let me continue with the previous example of LG’s 1-ton, 5-star split Inverter AC. As we calculated the wattage of this AC is around 790.5 watts (let’s round it off to 800 watts).

Let’s assume we will be using this AC for 5 hours every day for an entire month.

I have calculated the daily, monthly, and annual power consumption of this 1-ton split inverter AC in two different scenarios:

• Compressor ON 50% time: The compressor will run at maximum power for 50% of the time and for the rest of the time it will run at very low wattage. This is applicable if the temperature difference inside the room and the atmosphere is below 10 degrees Celsius.
• Compressor ON 100% time: The compressor will run at maximum power pretty much all the time. This is applicable if the temperature difference inside the room and the atmosphere is between 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Daily power consumption of a 1-ton split inverter AC (5 hours of run time, compressor ON 100%): Wattage of the split AC X operational hours.

Wattage in our case is 800 and operation hours are 5.

Hence, the Daily power consumption of a 1-ton split inverter AC (5 hours of run time, compressor ON 100%) = 800 watts X 5 hours = 4 kWh

Note: The annual figures in the above table for compressor ON (100%) is an over-exaggeration, because, it’s rare to have a 20-degree temperature difference throughout the day for an entire year. (Still, it’s completely possible if you like to run your AC at 18 degrees Celsius all the time and you like in a hot place.)

Daily, Monthly, And Annual Power Consumption of A 1-Ton Split AC:

For your reference, I have also calculated the daily, monthly, and annual power consumption of a 1-ton split inverter AC (3-star, 4-star, and 5-star)

Case 1: Compressor ON 50% of the time (Good for scenarios where ambient and room temperature difference is below 10 degrees Celsius)

For this scenario when the ambient and room temperature difference is below 10 degrees Celsius, the hourly power consumption of a 1-ton split ac is between 0.3 kWh to 0.5 kWh.

Case 2: Compressor ON 100% of the time (Good for scenarios where ambient and room temperature difference is more than 15 degrees Celsius)

For this scenario when the ambient and room temperature difference is above 15 degrees Celsius, the hourly power consumption of a 1-ton split ac is between 0.6 kWh to 0.9 kWh.

One thing is pretty clear from the above tables, as you decrease your AC temperature (in turn increase the temperature difference between outside and inside) the power consumption goes up drastically.

Hence, a big power-saving tip would be, whenever possible always set your AC temperature 10 degrees lower than the outside temperature, not more than that.

This is one of the reasons why it’s recommended to run your AC at around 24 degrees Celsius.

If you are wondering what about 1-ton non-inverter split AC.

1-ton non-inverter split ACs are energy-rated up to 3 stars, there are no 4-star and 5-star energy-rated non-inverter ACs.

In comparison to an inverter split AC, a 1-ton non-inverter AC can consume 10% more power.

Now that we know the power consumption, let me show you how to calculate the running cost.

How Much Does It Cost to Run 1-Ton Split AC:

You can calculate the cost to run your 1-ton split AC by using the following formula.

Cost to run an appliance = Power consumption of the appliance X electricity tariff 

At this point, we know our AC’s power consumption, hence, let’s quickly see what is electricity tariff.

In simple words, electricity tariff is the amount your electricity provider charges you for the usage of one unit (kWh) of electricity. I live in Mumbai, India here the electricity tariff is Rs 12/kWh.

(What is a Kilowatt hour (kWh) – Kilowatt hours or units of electricity is the energy consumption of a device. For example, a 50-watt table fan running for 50 hours will consume 50 watts x 50 hours = 2500-watt hours = 2.5-kilowatt hours of electricity = 2.5 units of electricity. (1 kWh of electricity = 1 unit of electricity))

To find your electricity tariff, just look into your previous month’s electricity bill and find out your monthly electricity consumption, then just divide your monthly electricity consumption by your total monthly electricity bill, the figure you get is approximately your electricity tariff.

For your reference, I have calculated the monthly running cost of a 5-star 1-ton split AC using the above formula.

AC wattage: 640 Watts.

Daily operational hours: 5 hours.

Similarly, you can calculate the daily and annual power consumption of your AC.

You can use the below calculator to calculate your split AC power consumption based on your operational hours.

1-Ton Split AC Power Consumption Calculator:

Remember the above-calculated values show the maximum power consumption of a split AC mostly when the ambient and room temperature difference is more than 20 degree Celsius.

For temperature differences below 10 degrees, you can divide the calculated power consumption values by 2.

If you are not happy with the approximate results and you want to know your AC’s exact power consumption, then I would suggest you buy a cheap energy meter from amazon. I have shown this method in the last part of the blog.

Now let me show you the second method which is the quickest one.

Calculate 1 Ton Split AC Power Consumption from Energy-Saving Label:

In almost every country, all air conditioners available today are energy star rated, hence, you can go to the air conditioner manufacturer’s website or amazon and find an energy-saving label associated with the AC.

The below image shows the annual power consumption of different 1-ton split inverter ACs listed on Amazon India.

Note: One thing to keep in mind is the annual power consumption is calculated based on 1,600 hours of annual operations. This is roughly equal to 4.5 hours of run time every day for an entire year.

Also, these tests are done in the temperature range between 24 to 43 degrees Celsius, and out of the 1600 hours of operation, almost 90% of testing is done below 35 degrees Celsius.

Hence, if your AC usage is maximum during the summer days or you like in a place where the outside temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius then your power consumption will be more than what’s on the label.

To get a well-rounded answer about the power consumption of 1-ton split air conditioners, I have browsed through amazon and a bunch of other e-commerce websites to find out the annual power consumption of a variety of 1-ton conditioners (both inverter AC and non-inverter-AC) and compiled the following data.

I have shown the power consumption comparison between inverter and non-inverter AC in the later part of this article.

Type: 1-Ton Split Inverter AC

Note: I have taken air conditioners that are energy rated for the year 2022, you will find old ACs on amazon as well which consume more energy than what I have mentioned.

Few things to notice from the above table,

• A same-size air conditioner with a similar energy star rating from the same brand can have different power consumption. For example, the power consumption of carrier 1-ton 5-star split AC is between 594 kWh to 659 kWh.
• The most energy-efficient 1-ton split AC is from Daikin (this model https://www.amazon.in/Daikin-Display-Technology-Inverter-FTKM35U/dp/B09SW7RWSD/ref=sr_1_3?crid=24RDXUXMJLJNI&keywords=daikin+5+star+ac+1+ton&qid=1670600993&sprefix=daikin+5+star%2Caps%2C276&sr=8-3), it consumes just 523.24 kWh, whereas similar size and star-rated ACs consume between 590 kWh to 659 kWh.

You can divide the annual power consumption mentioned on the label by 1600 to get hourly power consumption of a 1-ton AC and use that to calculate the power consumption for any specific number of hours.

One thing you will notice from the above table is, the higher the number of energy-saving stars, the less the annual power consumption.

But exactly how much, let’s find out.

How stars affect the power consumption of 1 Ton Air Conditioners:

From the above table, we can clearly see,

With an increase in energy-saving stars, the annual power consumption of an air conditioner drops by 10% to 20%.

• For example, the 1-ton, 3-star split AC from LG has an annual power consumption of 680 kWh, whereas the 4-star one has an annual power consumption of 649.33 kWh (almost 4% less than the 3-star one).
• In the case of Daikin, the 1-ton, 4-star split AC has an annual power consumption of 649.33 kWh, whereas the 5-star one has an annual power consumption of 571.99 kWh (almost 14% less than the 4-star one),

The bottom line is “More energy stars, means more savings”, to quantify it, with every additional energy-saving star you can expect almost a 5% to 10% reduction in power consumption.

Now let’s look at how much it costs to run a non-inverter 1-ton split air conditioner.

1 Ton Inverter AC vs Non-Inverter AC Power Consumption:

Till now we saw the annual power consumption of inverter AC, now let’s look at the annual power consumption of non-inverter ACs.

I have already explained the difference between an inverter and non-inverter AC, if you skipped that part here’s a quick explanation.

An inverter AC has a variable-speed compressor that runs at all times and adjusts its speed and tonnage according to the cooling demand.

Whereas a non-inverter AC has a single-speed compressor that is either completely OFF or runs at the maximum speed, it can’t adjust its speed and tonnage as per the cooling demand.

This frequent start and stop of the compressor increase the power consumption of a non-inverter AC as more current is needed to start a compressor than to run it.

Hence, in most scenarios inverter AC consumes less power than a non-inverter AC.

For easy comparison, I have made the following table that compares the annual power consumption of 1-ton split inverter AC Vs 1-ton split non-inverter AC.

Few things to notice from the above table,

• 1-ton non-inverter split ACs are energy-rated up to 3 stars, there are no 4-star and 5-star energy-rated non-inverter ACs.
• The annual power consumption of a similar size, similar energy-star-rated inverter AC is 5% – 10% less than non-inverter AC.
• The 1-ton, 3-star inverter AC from Daikin has an annual power consumption of 656.44 kWh, whereas the non-inverter one has an annual power consumption of 738.51 kWh (almost 12% more than the inverter one)

Just like we calculated before, you can calculate the cost to run a 1-ton split AC by multiplying its annual power consumption (from the label) by your local electricity tariff.

If you don’t the like fact that the above two methods give you approximate results then you can buy a simple energy meter from amazon and use it to calculate your AC’s exact power consumption as shown below.

Calculate the exact power consumption of any AC using Energy Meter:

Kill A Watt Meter or Energy Meter is a simple device that gives real-time data on the power consumption of any device.

You can check it on amazon using this link – Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor

To use a kill-a-watt meter to calculate the power consumption of your air conditioner, first, connect your ACs plug into the kill-a-watt meter, and then plug the kill-a-watt meter in your wall socket and you are good to go.

Then let the AC run and you can see in real-time how many kWh (units) of electricity it is consuming.

Using any one of three methods you should be able to calculate the power consumption of your AC and let me be real it’s a lot. Air conditioners are easily the most power-hungry appliance in most houses, hence, let’s see some actionable tips to reduce your AC power consumption.

How To Reduce Your Air Conditioner’s Power Consumption:

1. Clean your AC filters
2. Keep your rooms sealed
3. Shut down all the appliances in your room, where AC is running
4. Keep the compressor unit in shade and cool it down with water
5. Use ceiling fans for circulation
6. Control the volume of air inside your room

You can check out this article to know in detail about AC power saving tips.

if you liked this article then please share it with your friends on Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and Reddit.

You can check out this article to know more about the power consumption of common household appliances.

Check out my articles on solar power for home and how it can help you save your electricity bill.

Check out the following articles to know the power consumption of other appliances:

• Power consumption of infrared heaters.
• Power consumption of water heater
• Power consumption of tankless water heater.
• Power consumption of an electric immersion heater.
• Power consumption of an electric kettle.
• Power consumption of an electric fireplace.
• Power consumption of a washing machine.
• Power consumption of air conditioner.

You can check out this article to know more about the power consumption of common household appliances.

Check out my articles on solar power for home and how it can help you save your electricity bill.

Thank you for reading.

Aavjo 👋

References:

• https://www.beestarlabel.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Energy_Efficiency