How Much to Run Central AC in Vermont? $0.83/Hr, $68/Summer
Running central air conditioner in Vermont costs about $0.83 an hour and roughly $68 for the summer — 3,500 W for 0.9 hours a day at 23.75¢/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 Vermont rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.83 at 23.75¢/kWh
- Per summer
- $68 (92 days)
- Hours per day
- 0.9 (NOAA state cooling degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 224 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 3,500 W (typical 2,000–5,000)
- Vermont rate
- 23.75¢ (July 2026)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 17 (17th most expensive)
Why this number
Vermont runs central air conditioner less than the national baseline in June–August — 0.9 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 3.8 nationally — and pays 23.75¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 3,500 W, are the whole $68.
Central air conditioner cost in Vermont by hours per day — per day / per summer
| Hours per day | Vermont avg 23.75¢ | Green Mountain Power C 22.1¢ | Adjustment 2024 20.5¢ | Vermont Electric Coope 23.3¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.83 / $76 | $0.77 / $71 | $0.72 / $66 | $0.82 / $75 |
| 2 h | $1.66 / $153 | $1.55 / $142 | $1.44 / $132 | $1.63 / $150 |
| 4 h | $3.33 / $306 | $3.09 / $285 | $2.87 / $264 | $3.26 / $300 |
| 6 h | $4.99 / $459 | $4.64 / $427 | $4.30 / $396 | $4.89 / $450 |
| 8 h | $6.65 / $612 | $6.19 / $569 | $5.74 / $528 | $6.52 / $600 |
| 12 h | $9.97 / $918 | $9.28 / $854 | $8.61 / $792 | $9.79 / $900 |
What Vermont’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per summer at 0.9 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Mountain Power Corp | 226,675 | 22.1¢ | $0.77 | $63 |
| Adjustment 2024 | 39,156 | 20.5¢ | $0.72 | $59 |
| Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc | 35,964 | 23.3¢ | $0.82 | $67 |
What the numbers say about central air conditioner in Vermont
Vermont logged 224 population-weighted cooling degree-days over June–August (NOAA CPC state series), 23% of the CONUS figure of 958, which is why this page runs central air conditioner 0.9 hours a day against the national 3.8 — 2.9 hours less. At Vermont’s July 2026 rate of 23.75¢/kWh that makes it the 17th most expensive of the 20 cold states for central air conditioner: $68 for the 92-day summer, against Montana’s $47 and Alaska’s $228. Green Mountain Power Corp, Vermont’s largest utility with 226,675 residential customers, averages 22.1¢ — $63 for the same hours — while Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc at 23.3¢ comes to $67, a $3 spread on identical use. Vermont’s July 2026 rate of 23.75¢ sets the $0.83 per hour; its winter average of 23.81¢ is 0.06¢ 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 Vermont?
$0.83 an hour for a 3,500 W unit at Vermont’s July 2026 average of 23.75¢/kWh (3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.2375); at Green Mountain Power Corp’s 22.1¢ it is $0.77.
How much does central air conditioner cost for the whole summer in Vermont?
About $68: 3,500 W × 0.9 hours a day × 92 days (June–August) × 23.75¢. The hours are the national 3.8 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted CDD, June–August 2026 (224 against the CONUS 958); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is central air conditioner expensive to run in Vermont compared with other cold states?
Vermont is the 17th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $68 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 Vermont: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.2375 $/kWh = $0.83 per hour; hours per day = 3.8 × (224 ÷ 958) = 0.9; 3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.9 × 92 × 0.2375 = $68 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 Vermont, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Vermont — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Vermont’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Vermont averages 23.75¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Vermont — Vermont’s 23.75¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in Vermont — Same Vermont rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in Vermont — Same Vermont rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in North Dakota — $65 for the summer at 13.41¢ and 1.5 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in Wyoming — $61 for the summer at 14.36¢ and 1.3 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.