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How Much to Run Central AC in Utah? $0.46/Hr, $112/Summer

Running central air conditioner in Utah costs about $0.46 an hour and roughly $112 for the summer — 3,500 W for 2.6 hours a day at 13.12¢/kWh.

$0.46per hour
$112per summer, 92 days
666cooling degree-days, NOAA

· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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Central air conditioner in Utah: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × days × rate. Estimate, not a quote.
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Per hour
$0.46 at 13.12¢/kWh
Per summer
$112 (92 days)
Hours per day
2.6 (NOAA state cooling degree-days-scaled)
Degree-days used
666 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
Wattage
3,500 W (typical 2,000–5,000)
Utah rate
13.12¢ (July 2026)
Rank of 20 cold states
13 (13th most expensive)

Why this number

Running central air conditioner in Utah costs about $0.46 an hour and roughly $112 for the summer — a 3,500 W unit for 2.6 hours a day over 92 days (June–August) at Utah’s July 2026 average of 13.12¢/kWh. The hours are the national 3.8 h/day baseline scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted CDD, June–August 2026 (666 vs the CONUS 958); your utility’s rate moves it (table below), and the calculator takes your own wattage, hours and rate.

Utah runs central air conditioner less than the national baseline in June–August — 2.6 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 3.8 nationally — and pays 13.12¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 3,500 W, are the whole $112.

Central air conditioner cost in Utah by hours per day — per day / per summer

Central air conditioner cost per day and per summer in Utah at 1 to 12 hours a day, at the state average rate and its largest utilities' EIA-861 prices
Hours per day Utah avg 13.12¢ PacifiCorp 12.5¢ Adjustment 2024 12.5¢ Provo City Corp 11.4¢
1 h $0.46 / $42 $0.44 / $40 $0.44 / $40 $0.40 / $37
2 h $0.92 / $84 $0.88 / $80 $0.88 / $80 $0.80 / $73
4 h $1.84 / $169 $1.75 / $161 $1.75 / $161 $1.60 / $147
6 h $2.76 / $253 $2.62 / $242 $2.62 / $242 $2.39 / $220
8 h $3.67 / $338 $3.50 / $322 $3.50 / $322 $3.19 / $294
12 h $5.51 / $507 $5.25 / $483 $5.25 / $483 $4.79 / $440

What Utah’s utilities charge for it

Utah's largest electric utilities and what central air conditioner costs per hour and per summer at each one's average price
Utility Residential customers ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) Per hour Per summer at 2.6 h/day
PacifiCorp 947,246 12.5¢ $0.44 $106
Adjustment 2024 97,407 12.5¢ $0.44 $106
Provo City Corp 35,299 11.4¢ $0.40 $97

What the numbers say about central air conditioner in Utah

Utah logged 666 population-weighted cooling degree-days over June–August (NOAA CPC state series), 70% of the CONUS figure of 958, which is why this page runs central air conditioner 2.6 hours a day against the national 3.8 — 1.2 hours less. At Utah’s July 2026 rate of 13.12¢/kWh that makes it the 13th most expensive of the 20 cold states for central air conditioner: $112 for the 92-day summer, against Montana’s $47 and Alaska’s $228. PacifiCorp, Utah’s largest utility with 947,246 residential customers, averages 12.5¢ — $106 for the same hours — while Provo City Corp at 11.4¢ comes to $97, a $9 spread on identical use. Utah’s July 2026 rate of 13.12¢ sets the $0.46 per hour; its winter average of 13.19¢ is 0.07¢ higher, 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 Utah?

$0.46 an hour for a 3,500 W unit at Utah’s July 2026 average of 13.12¢/kWh (3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1312); at PacifiCorp’s 12.5¢ it is $0.44.

How much does central air conditioner cost for the whole summer in Utah?

About $112: 3,500 W × 2.6 hours a day × 92 days (June–August) × 13.12¢. The hours are the national 3.8 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted CDD, June–August 2026 (666 against the CONUS 958); enter your own hours above for your own figure.

Is central air conditioner expensive to run in Utah compared with other cold states?

Utah is the 13th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $112 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 Utah: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1312 $/kWh = $0.46 per hour; hours per day = 3.8 × (666 ÷ 958) = 2.6; 3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 2.6 × 92 × 0.1312 = $112 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.

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