How much does your AC add to the electricity bill? Work it out yourself on the Saudi tariff

The short answer

An AC has no fixed running cost; its share of the bill comes down to three things: how many watts it draws, how many hours it runs, and which tier your home’s total usage falls into. According to the consumption-saving page on the Saudi Electricity Company’s website, air conditioning uses more than 60% of the electricity used in homes, so it’s the first place to look when the bill is high.

The sum in four steps

1. Find how many watts your AC draws

   Look for the rating label on the side of the indoor unit or on the outdoor unit and take the cooling input power (Rated input or Cooling input) in watts. Note that “1.5 ton” or “18,000 units” is the cooling capacity (18,000 BTU per hour), not the electricity it draws. If the label shows no watts but gives the cooling capacity and the EER, watts ≈ BTU per hour ÷ EER.

   You can check it
2. Convert to kilowatts

   Divide the watts by 1,000. A label reading 1,800 W = 1.8 kW. So if the compressor ran a full hour without stopping, it would use 1.8 kWh — the unit your bill is charged in.

   You can check it
3. Multiply by the hours it runs

   Hours a day × days in the month. Bear in mind the label figure is roughly the maximum draw: once the room reaches the set temperature the compressor stops or slows (especially on inverter units), so the result is an upper estimate, not an exact figure.

   You can check it
4. Multiply by the tariff and add VAT

   kWh × 18 halalas (or 30 if your home goes over 6,000 kWh a month), then add 15% VAT. Divide the halalas by 100 to get riyals.

   You can check it

The price of a kWh: the official tariff

These figures are from the Saudi Electricity Company’s website (se.com.sa), “Consumption tariff” page, checked on 5 November 2026. The current tariff applies until 31 December 2026, and a revised tariff starts on 1 January 2027. The tier is set by the whole meter’s usage in the month, not by the AC alone.

On top of the usage charge, today’s bill includes a meter service fee that depends on the breaker size, and 15% VAT is charged on the taxable amount including that fee (per the “How to read your bill” page on the same site). Under the revised 2027 tariff there is a fixed monthly charge by breaker size, from 70 to 100 riyals, and all rates are before VAT. Those charges don’t change with the AC, so the sums below focus on usage.

Worked example: a 1.8 kW AC

Take an AC whose label says 1,800 W, running ten hours a day for a 30-day month, and treat the label figure as if it drew that non-stop — so this is a ceiling, not an average. Usage: 1.8 × 10 × 30 = 540 kWh a month.

If your home goes past 6,000 kWh a month in summer, every extra kWh the AC uses is charged at the higher tier. Want a real figure instead of an estimate? Photograph the meter reading at the same time on two days in a row — the difference is one day’s household usage. Try one day on your usual setting and one with the temperature raised, and compare.

What makes the AC use more than your sum

1. A layer of dust on the filter

   Likely cause: Air struggles through, so the AC runs longer; the Saudi Electricity Company advises cleaning the filter every two weeks

   You can check it

2. The remote is on a low temperature all day

   Likely cause: The lower the setting, the longer the compressor runs to reach and hold it; the official advice is 25°C

   You can check it

3. A door or window open, or sun pouring into the room

   Likely cause: Extra heat the AC has to remove, so it runs longer

   You can check it

4. The outdoor unit sits in direct sun or is boxed into a closed corner

   Likely cause: It can’t reject heat easily; shading it and clearing obstacles you can do yourself, moving it is a technician’s job

   You first, then a technician

5. It runs non-stop and never reaches the set temperature

   Likely cause: A dirty coil (indoor or outdoor), low refrigerant from a leak, or an AC too small for the room

   Needs a technician

AC on 24 or 26?

The bigger the gap between the outside air and the temperature you ask for, the longer the AC runs. In Riyadh heat, 24 instead of 26 means more compressor running time, and running time is what you’re billed for. The Saudi Electricity Company recommends setting the AC to 25°C. We don’t quote a fixed saving because it varies with the home, the insulation and the AC — but the meter method above shows you the difference in your own home.

When it needs a technician

If you’ve cleaned the filter, set a sensible temperature, the outdoor unit is clear and shaded, and the AC still runs non-stop or uses clearly more than your sum, the problem is usually inside the AC: a coil that needs washing, a refrigerant leak, or a worn part. The Saudi Electricity Company itself advises regular maintenance and cleaning the AC at least once a year, because built-up dust lowers its efficiency.