What It Costs to Run Air Conditioning in Canada
Electricity prices, hourly and yearly cooling costs, and what a more efficient unit saves, province by province, in Canadian dollars.
By Mark Curant¡Updated
Quick answer
Running a typical 3-ton central air conditioner (SEER 14) costs about C$0.21 an hour in Quebec and up to C$0.59 an hour in Alberta, before tax. Canadian summers are short, so a whole season usually comes to C$120âC$320 a year, from Newfoundland and Labrador to Ontario. Power is cheaper than the U.S. average in every province.
Canada is the opposite of the islands where I run my stores. There, power costs over 30¢ a kWh and the AC never gets a season off, so efficiency pays back fast. In most of Canada, electricity is cheaper and the cooling season lasts a few months, which changes the math. These pages put numbers on it so you can see whether an upgrade is worth it where you live.
Cost to run AC by province
| Province | City | Avg. price | AC's extra kWh | 3-ton per hour | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Calgary | 22.90¢ | 19.32¢ | C$0.59 | C$236 (400 hrs) |
| Nova Scotia | Halifax | 20.48¢ | 18.56¢ | C$0.53 | C$211 (400 hrs) |
| Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown | 19.69¢ | 17.23¢ | C$0.51 | C$202 (400 hrs) |
| Saskatchewan | Regina | 17.89¢ | 14.89¢ | C$0.46 | C$230 (500 hrs) |
| New Brunswick | Moncton | 16.61¢ | 13.65¢ | C$0.43 | C$214 (500 hrs) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | St. John's | 15.59¢ | 14.02¢ | C$0.40 | C$120 (300 hrs) |
| Ontario | Toronto | 15.57¢ | 11.56¢ | C$0.40 | C$320 (800 hrs) |
| British Columbia | Vancouver | 12.60¢ | 13.45¢ | C$0.32 | C$130 (400 hrs) |
| Manitoba | Winnipeg | 10.53¢ | 9.59¢ | C$0.27 | C$190 (700 hrs) |
| Quebec | MontrÊal | 8.29¢ | 9.90¢ | C$0.21 | C$149 (700 hrs) |
| U.S. average | â | 26.05¢ | â | C$0.67 | C$1,005 (1,500 hrs) |
Canadian cents per kWh, before GST/HST and provincial taxes, at April 1, 2025 rates. "Avg. price" is the average for a home using 1,000 kWh a month. "AC's extra kWh" is what each kWh between 1,000 and 2,000 a month costs, which is closer to what running the air conditioner adds to a bill. The U.S. average (18.31¢ US, July 2026) is converted at US$0.703 per C$ (October 1, 2026). Territories aren't in the comparison.
Across the border
The same Hydro-QuĂŠbec comparison prices U.S. cities the same way, so the numbers line up directly. Canadian power is cheaper across the board, which is one reason a premium air conditioner takes longer to pay back in Canada than in the U.S.
| Canadian city | Price | U.S. city | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 12.60¢ | Seattle, WA | 18.97¢ |
| Toronto | 15.57¢ | Detroit, MI | 29.62¢ |
| Halifax | 20.48¢ | Boston, MA | 47.87¢ |
| Winnipeg | 10.53¢ | Chicago, IL | 24.33¢ |
| MontrÊal | 8.29¢ | New York, NY | 52.48¢ |
Canadian cents per kWh at 1,000 kWh a month, before tax. U.S. bills were converted to Canadian dollars by Hydro-QuĂŠbec at the April 1, 2025 exchange rate.
Is a more efficient AC worth it in Canada?
For cooling alone, the payback is slow. Going from SEER 14 to SEER 18 on a 3-ton system saves about C$71 a year in Ontario and less in provinces with cooler summers. Our 16 vs 18 SEER payback analysis shows why: the extra cost of a premium unit only pays back when electricity is expensive and the AC runs a lot.
Heat pumps change that. A cold-climate heat pump cools in summer and heats in winter, and in most of Canada it runs far more hours heating than cooling. If you're replacing an AC, compare a heat pump on its heating efficiency (HSPF) as well as SEER, and check your province and utility for current rebates or financing.
Cutting cooling costs
- Watch time-of-use rates. In Ontario, on-peak hours cost the most. Pre-cool the house in the morning and set the thermostat higher during the peak.
- Size it right. An oversized unit short-cycles, dehumidifies poorly and costs more to buy. Check with the AC sizing calculator.
- Cool the rooms you use. A ductless mini-split in a bedroom can be cheaper to run than cooling a whole house.
- Keep the heat out. Close blinds on south- and west-facing windows on hot afternoons.
- Clean or replace the filter. A clogged filter makes the system run longer. See the $10 air filter fix.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run central air in Canada?
For a typical 3-ton central AC rated SEER 14, about C$0.21 an hour in Quebec and C$0.59 an hour in Alberta, before tax. Over a summer, that works out to roughly C$120 a year in Newfoundland and Labrador and up to C$320 in Ontario, depending on how long the cooling season is.
Which province has the most expensive electricity for air conditioning?
Alberta has the highest residential price in Hydro-QuÊbec's comparison: 22.90¢/kWh in Calgary at 1,000 kWh a month (April 1, 2025, before tax). Quebec is the cheapest at 8.29¢/kWh in MontrÊal. Because Ontario has a longer, hotter summer, AC costs the most per year there.
Is a high-SEER air conditioner worth it in Canada?
For cooling alone, rarely. Canadian cooling seasons are short, so going from SEER 14 to SEER 18 on a 3-ton system saves only about C$71 a year in Ontario. The case is much stronger for a heat pump that also heats in winter, where its heating efficiency (HSPF) drives most of the savings.
Sources and method
- Electricity prices: Hydro-QuĂŠbec, Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities (rates in effect April 1, 2025). Monthly bills for 1,000 and 2,000 kWh, before taxes. Where a province has two cities in the comparison, the headline uses the larger one.
- Power draw (kW) = tons à 12 á SEER; cost = kW à hours à price.
- Cooling hours are our estimate for each province's climate, from 300 a year in Newfoundland and Labrador to 800 in Ontario.
Work out your own cost
Divide your last electricity bill (before tax) by the kWh used to get your rate, then plug it into the calculator with your unit's SEER and size.
Open the SEER savings calculator