What It Costs to Run Air Conditioning in the Caribbean
Electricity rates, hourly and yearly cooling costs, and what an efficient unit saves, island by island.
By Mark Curant·Updated
Quick answer
Running a typical 3-ton air conditioner (SEER 14) costs between $0.16 an hour in Trinidad and Tobago and $1.28 an hour in Bermuda. In 6 of the 8 countries we track, electricity costs more than 28¢/kWh, well above the U.S. average of 18.31¢, and because AC runs most of the year, a 3-ton system can cost over $2,100 a year to run.
I run retail stores in the Caribbean. Our power costs more than 30¢ a kilowatt-hour, it isn't always reliable, and the air conditioning doesn't get a season off. That combination changes how you think about every unit you buy: the purchase price matters less than what it costs to run for the next ten years, and protecting it from the grid matters as much as maintaining it. These pages put real numbers on that for each island.
Cost to run AC by country
| Country | Rate (local) | Rate (US) | 3-ton per hour | Per year | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bermuda | BMD 0.499 | 49.90¢ | $1.28 | $1,925 (1,500 hrs) | September 2025 |
| Cayman Islands | KYD 0.326 | 39.10¢ | $1.01 | $3,016 (3,000 hrs) | September 2025 |
| Puerto Rico | USD 0.339 | 33.86¢ | $0.87 | $2,612 (3,000 hrs) | October–December 2026 |
| Barbados | BBD 0.642 | 31.90¢ | $0.82 | $2,461 (3,000 hrs) | March 2025 |
| Bahamas | BSD 0.310 | 31.04¢ | $0.80 | $2,395 (3,000 hrs) | September 2026 |
| Jamaica | JMD 45.56 | 29.10¢ | $0.75 | $2,245 (3,000 hrs) | June 2025 |
| Dominican Republic | DOP 6.809 | 11.40¢ | $0.29 | $879 (3,000 hrs) | September 2025 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | TTD 0.420 | 6.20¢ | $0.16 | $478 (3,000 hrs) | June 2025 |
| U.S. average | — | 18.31¢ | $0.47 | $706 (1,500 hrs) | July 2026 |
Rates are all-in household prices including fuel charges, taxes and fees, from each country's source (listed on its page). Island rates move with fuel prices, so each one shows the date it applies to. We're working on the U.S. Virgin Islands and Turks & Caicos and will add them once we have a current, sourced rate.
Why island electricity costs so much
- Imported fuel. Most islands rely on diesel, heavy fuel oil or liquefied natural gas shipped in by tanker, and the fuel charge on your bill passes that cost straight through, month by month.
- Small, isolated grids. There's no neighbouring grid to buy cheap power from, and fixed costs are spread over far fewer customers.
- The exceptions prove the rule. Trinidad and Tobago runs on its own natural gas and has some of the cheapest power in the region; the Dominican Republic's tariffs are government-set.
Cutting cooling costs in island conditions
- Buy on running cost, not price. At 30¢+/kWh, a SEER 20 inverter unit uses half the electricity of a SEER 10. The difference often pays for itself in a few years. Use the savings calculator with your rate.
- Fight the salt. Salt air corrodes outdoor coils and cuts efficiency. Rinse the outdoor unit with fresh water regularly, and ask for coated or corrosion-resistant coils near the coast.
- Cool the rooms you use. Ductless mini-splits let you cool bedrooms at night without cooling the whole house.
- Keep the heat out. Shade on west-facing windows, reflective roofing and sealing gaps reduce how long the unit runs.
- Clean the filters. In dusty, humid conditions filters clog fast. See the $10 air filter fix.
- Protect the equipment. Voltage protectors and a surge protector at the panel guard against brownouts and spikes. Each country page covers this in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Why is electricity so expensive in the Caribbean?
Most islands generate much of their power from imported fuel (diesel, heavy fuel oil or liquefied natural gas) in small, isolated grids. Fuel costs are passed straight through to customers through a monthly fuel charge, and small grids cannot spread fixed costs over as many customers as a large mainland utility. Trinidad and Tobago, which uses its own natural gas, is the main exception.
Where in the Caribbean is air conditioning most expensive to run?
Of the countries we track, Bermuda has the highest residential rate at 49.90¢/kWh (September 2025), so a 3-ton AC costs about $1.28 an hour. Trinidad and Tobago is the cheapest at 6.20¢/kWh.
Is an inverter mini-split worth it in the Caribbean?
In most islands, yes. With rates above 28¢/kWh and air conditioning running most of the year, replacing a SEER 10 unit with a SEER 20 inverter mini-split of the same size cuts its electricity use in half. For a 1.5-ton unit at 33.00¢/kWh and 3,000 hours a year, that is about $891 a year.
Sources and method
- Bermuda: GlobalPetrolPrices.com, household electricity price (includes fuel adjustment, taxes and fees), September 2025.
- Cayman Islands: GlobalPetrolPrices.com, household electricity price (includes fuel cost charge, taxes and fees), September 2025.
- Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico Energy Bureau quarterly adjustment, as reported by El Nuevo DÃa (Oct. 1, 2026), October–December 2026.
- Barbados: GlobalPetrolPrices.com, household electricity price (includes fuel charge, taxes and fees), March 2025.
- Bahamas: BPL residential tariff and fuel charge on a September 2026 household bill (1,505 kWh; energy and fuel charges, before fixed charges and taxes), September 2026.
- Jamaica: GlobalPetrolPrices.com, household electricity price (includes fuel charge, taxes and fees), June 2025.
- Dominican Republic: GlobalPetrolPrices.com, household electricity price (includes taxes and fees), September 2025.
- Trinidad and Tobago: GlobalPetrolPrices.com, household electricity price (includes taxes and fees), June 2025.
- Power draw (kW) = tons × 12 ÷ SEER; cost = kW × hours × rate. Cooling hours are our climate-based estimate: 3,000 a year for tropical islands, 1,500 for Bermuda.
Work out your own cost
Divide your last electricity bill by the kWh used to get your all-in rate, then plug it into the calculator with your unit's SEER and size.
Open the SEER savings calculator