How Much Does It Cost to Run Air Conditioning in Alberta?
Hourly, monthly and yearly cooling costs at Alberta's electricity price, by system size and SEER rating, in Canadian dollars.
By Mark Curant·Updated
Quick answer
At Calgary's residential electricity price of 22.90¢/kWh before tax (April 1, 2025), a typical 3-ton central air conditioner (SEER 14) costs about C$0.59 per hour, C$141 for a month at 8 hours a day, and roughly C$236 a year over a cooling season of about 400 hours. That price is 12% below the U.S. average and ranks #1 of 10 among Canadian provinces.
Per hour
C$0.59
3-ton, SEER 14
Per month
C$141
8 hrs/day × 30 days
Per year
C$236
400 cooling hours
Your numbers in Alberta
Your AC now (SEER 10)
C$330/yr
C$0.82/hr · C$198 summer month
New system (SEER 16)
C$206/yr
C$0.52/hr · C$124 summer month
You would save
C$124/yr
C$1,237 over 10 years
Starts from Alberta's average residential rate and typical cooling hours. Want payback on a quote? Open the full calculator with these numbers →
The estimator works in Canadian cents and dollars, before tax.
Electricity prices in Alberta
| City | Bill at 1,000 kWh | Avg. price | Each kWh from 1,000 to 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | C$229.04/month | 22.90¢/kWh | 19.32¢/kWh |
| Edmonton | C$220.02/month | 22.00¢/kWh | 19.23¢/kWh |
Power in Alberta is supplied by retailers and distributors such as ENMAX (Calgary) and EPCOR (Edmonton). Alberta has a competitive electricity market, so the energy price depends on the retailer and plan you choose, and delivery charges are added on top. Alberta has the highest residential prices in the comparison, but its short, dry summers mean most homes run central AC far fewer hours than in Ontario or Manitoba.
Air conditioning is added on top of a home's normal use, so the price of those extra kilowatt-hours matters most. In Calgary, each kWh between 1,000 and 2,000 a month costs 19.32¢, less than the average, because fixed charges are already covered. At that price, a 3-ton AC's season would cost about C$199 rather than C$236.
Cost to run AC in Alberta by system size
Central systems and ductless mini-splits are both sized in tons (1 ton = 12,000 Btu). A single-room mini-split is usually 0.75–1 ton; a whole house, 2–5 tons. Costs for SEER 14 at 22.90¢/kWh:
| System size | Per hour | Per month (8 hrs/day) | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 ton (18,000 Btu) | C$0.29 | C$71 | C$118 |
| 2 ton (24,000 Btu) | C$0.39 | C$94 | C$157 |
| 2.5 ton (30,000 Btu) | C$0.49 | C$118 | C$196 |
| 3 ton (36,000 Btu) | C$0.59 | C$141 | C$236 |
| 3.5 ton (42,000 Btu) | C$0.69 | C$165 | C$275 |
| 4 ton (48,000 Btu) | C$0.79 | C$188 | C$314 |
| 5 ton (60,000 Btu) | C$0.98 | C$236 | C$393 |
What a more efficient AC saves in Alberta
Annual cost of a 3-ton system at 400 cooling hours a year. Minimum efficiency for new central air conditioners is set by Natural Resources Canada; older units are often SEER 10 or lower.
| SEER rating | Annual cost | Savings vs. SEER 10 | 15-year savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEER 10 | C$330 | — | — |
| SEER 13 | C$254 | C$76 | C$1,142 |
| SEER 14 | C$236 | C$94 | C$1,414 |
| SEER 16 | C$206 | C$124 | C$1,855 |
| SEER 18 | C$183 | C$147 | C$2,199 |
| SEER 20 | C$165 | C$165 | C$2,474 |
Replacing an old AC? Price a heat pump too.
With a cooling season of about 400 hours, a premium air conditioner saves only C$52 a year over a standard one, so the extra cost takes a long time to pay back (see our 16 vs 18 SEER analysis). A cold-climate heat pump cools just as well in summer and also heats in winter, when it runs many more hours, so its efficiency pays back far faster. Check Alberta and your utility for current rebates and financing before you buy.
How Alberta compares
#2
Nova Scotia
20.48¢/kWh
#3
Prince Edward Island
19.69¢/kWh
#4
Saskatchewan
17.89¢/kWh
#5
New Brunswick
16.61¢/kWh
#6
Newfoundland and Labrador
15.59¢/kWh
#7
Ontario
15.57¢/kWh
#8
British Columbia
12.60¢/kWh
#9
Manitoba
10.53¢/kWh
#10
Quebec
8.29¢/kWh
In U.S. terms, Alberta's price is about 16.10¢ US/kWh, against a U.S. average of 18.31¢ (July 2026). See costs in every U.S. state.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run AC per hour in Alberta?
About C$0.59 for a typical 3-ton central air conditioner rated SEER 14, at Calgary's average residential price of 22.90¢/kWh before tax (April 1, 2025). A 1.5-ton unit, typical for one or two rooms, costs about C$0.29 an hour.
How much does central air cost per month in Alberta?
Running 8 hours a day for 30 days, a 3-ton SEER 14 system uses about 617 kWh, or about C$141 before tax at 22.90¢/kWh. Over a typical cooling season of about 400 full-load hours, it comes to roughly C$236 a year.
Is a high-efficiency air conditioner worth it in Alberta?
For cooling alone, the savings are modest. Replacing a SEER 10 unit with a SEER 16 saves about C$124 a year, and going from SEER 14 to SEER 18 saves about C$52 a year. If you're replacing the system anyway, a heat pump that also heats in winter usually saves far more than a higher-SEER air conditioner.
How we calculated this
Power draw (kW) = tons × 12,000 Btu/h ÷ SEER ÷ 1,000. Cost = kW × hours × price. Price: Hydro-Québec, Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities (rates in effect April 1, 2025), the monthly bill for 1,000 kWh in Calgary divided by 1,000, before GST/HST and provincial taxes. U.S. dollar figures use US$0.703 per C$ (October 1, 2026). Cooling hours are our estimate for Alberta's climate. Check your own bill: divide the total before tax by the kWh used to get your rate.
Run your own numbers
The calculator opens with Alberta's price and typical hours filled in. Add your unit's SEER and size to see your cost and what an upgrade would save. Its dollar amounts work in any currency, so read them as Canadian dollars.
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