How Much to Run Central AC in Colorado? $0.59/Hr, $114/Summer
Running central air conditioner in Colorado costs about $0.59 an hour and roughly $114 for the summer — 3,500 W for 2.1 hours a day at 17.0¢/kWh.
· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23
On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources
Jump to calculator ↓Slider nudges the Colorado rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.59 at 17.0¢/kWh
- Per summer
- $114 (92 days)
- Hours per day
- 2.1 (NOAA state cooling degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 527 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 3,500 W (typical 2,000–5,000)
- Colorado rate
- 17.0¢ (July 2026)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 11 (11th most expensive)
Why this number
Colorado runs central air conditioner less than the national baseline in June–August — 2.1 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 3.8 nationally — and pays 17.0¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 3,500 W, are the whole $114.
Central air conditioner cost in Colorado by hours per day — per day / per summer
| Hours per day | Colorado avg 17.0¢ | Public Service Co of C 15.0¢ | City of Colorado Sprin 14.5¢ | CORE Electric Cooperat 15.0¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.59 / $55 | $0.53 / $48 | $0.51 / $47 | $0.53 / $48 |
| 2 h | $1.19 / $109 | $1.05 / $97 | $1.01 / $93 | $1.05 / $97 |
| 4 h | $2.38 / $219 | $2.10 / $193 | $2.03 / $187 | $2.10 / $193 |
| 6 h | $3.57 / $328 | $3.15 / $290 | $3.04 / $280 | $3.15 / $290 |
| 8 h | $4.76 / $438 | $4.20 / $386 | $4.06 / $374 | $4.20 / $386 |
| 12 h | $7.14 / $657 | $6.30 / $580 | $6.09 / $560 | $6.30 / $580 |
What Colorado’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per summer at 2.1 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of Colorado | 1,365,053 | 15.0¢ | $0.53 | $101 |
| City of Colorado Springs - (CO) | 216,771 | 14.5¢ | $0.51 | $98 |
| CORE Electric Cooperative | 165,067 | 15.0¢ | $0.53 | $101 |
What the numbers say about central air conditioner in Colorado
Colorado logged 527 population-weighted cooling degree-days over June–August (NOAA CPC state series), 55% of the CONUS figure of 958, which is why this page runs central air conditioner 2.1 hours a day against the national 3.8 — 1.7 hours less. At Colorado’s July 2026 rate of 17.0¢/kWh that makes it the 11th most expensive of the 20 cold states for central air conditioner: $114 for the 92-day summer, against Montana’s $47 and Alaska’s $228. Public Service Co of Colorado, Colorado’s largest utility with 1,365,053 residential customers, averages 15.0¢ — $101 for the same hours — while CORE Electric Cooperative at 15.0¢ comes to $101, a $0 spread on identical use. Colorado’s July 2026 rate of 17.0¢ sets the $0.59 per hour; its winter average of 16.45¢ is 0.55¢ lower, a difference that matters for heating loads but not for central air conditioner use in June–August.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run central air conditioner per hour in Colorado?
$0.59 an hour for a 3,500 W unit at Colorado’s July 2026 average of 17.0¢/kWh (3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1700); at Public Service Co of Colorado’s 15.0¢ it is $0.53.
How much does central air conditioner cost for the whole summer in Colorado?
About $114: 3,500 W × 2.1 hours a day × 92 days (June–August) × 17.0¢. The hours are the national 3.8 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted CDD, June–August 2026 (527 against the CONUS 958); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is central air conditioner expensive to run in Colorado compared with other cold states?
Colorado is the 11th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $114 a summer; the range runs from Montana ($47) to Alaska ($228), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for central air conditioner in Colorado: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1700 $/kWh = $0.59 per hour; hours per day = 3.8 × (527 ÷ 958) = 2.1; 3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 2.1 × 92 × 0.1700 = $114 for the summer. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly 5.6.A (July 2026); degree-days: NOAA CPC state population-weighted CDD, June–August 2026, against the CONUS total; utility prices: EIA-861 2024.Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where to go next
- Cost to run central air conditioner (national page) — The 3,500 W and 3.8 h/day baseline this page scales for Colorado, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Colorado — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Colorado’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Colorado averages 17.0¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Colorado — Colorado’s 17.0¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in Colorado — Same Colorado rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in Colorado — Same Colorado rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in New Hampshire — $113 for the summer at 26.6¢ and 1.3 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in Utah — $112 for the summer at 13.12¢ and 2.6 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.