When your old air conditioner has to go, wouldn’t the first question that comes to your mind be, ‘how much does it cost to install a new air conditioning unit?’ That’s the first thing most people think of in my experience. So you can imagine how frustrated customers get when every air conditioning company they call refuses to discuss even ballpark pricing info on installing a central air conditioner over the phone. Of course, most heating and air companies want you to meet with a salesperson before they ever talk with you about pricing. Why do they do this? So they can try to size you up and base the price they quote you on how much research you’ve done or how urgently you need a new air conditioner installed. What a lousy way to do business right? So I’m going to give you the information most air conditioning contractors don’t want you to have… the basic price range you can expect reputable air conditioning companies to quote for the installation of a new central ac unit.

The price to install a central air conditioning unit varies significantly depending on the SEER rating of the unit you choose to install. In this post we’ve grouped the broad range of prices quoted from a basic ac unit up through the ultra high efficiency units based on the size of the home.moving ac unit Since we see hundreds of price quotes from other companies every year, we decided to start taking those quotes and organizing the information to give you a clear picture of the price ranges well-known, reputable companies charge for the different categories of central air conditioners. car a/c repair austinKeep in mind that the average cost to install a central ac unit varies according to which region of the country you live in. home air conditioning parts suppliers

Prices tend to be lower in the Southeast than they are in Western states and the Northeast. If you’d like more detailed pricing information for each of the different models by SEER rating, we’ve broken down the price ranges for the most popular air conditioning units installed by homeowners from 13 SEER single-stage all the way up through 17 SEER 2-stage models in the 2015 Central Air Conditioning Buyer’s Guide which you can download for Free. For Homes Between 1,000 and 1,800 Square Feet Air conditioning companies will charge anywhere from $3,900 for a smaller 13 SEER ac unit all the way up to $7,400 to install a 17 SEER 2-stage model. For Homes Larger Than 1,800 Square Feet Air conditioning companies will charge anywhere from $4,500 for a mid-size 13 SEER ac unit up to $7,900 to install a 17 SEER 2-stage model. Along with more detailed pricing info for each type of air conditioner, the 2015 Central Air Conditioning Buyer’s Guide includes lots of great information on the most common questions customers have when shopping for a new air conditioner, such as:

How much does Xcel Energy offer in rebates for each model? What type of air conditioner do I really need? What are the best central air conditioning brands? What should be included in the installation of my new air conditioning unit? … you can download the 2015 Central Air Conditioning Buyer's Guide for Free by clicking here. You can also find answers to just about any question you could ever have when it’s time to install a new central air conditioning unit in the Air Conditioning 101 section of our website.Programmable thermostats can save you hundreds in heating and cooling costs. When the thermometer rises in the summer, the cost of turning on an air conditioner may seem minor compared to getting some relief from the heat — but knowing how much air conditioning costs and how you can reduce that cost makes good fiscal sense. According to the Energy Information Administration, Americans spend more money cooling their homes than any other single usage of electricity, accounting for 22.4 percent of the average household electric bill in 2010.

Typical Electricity Costs The town of Wellesley, Mass., has estimated the average cost of running central air conditioning in a typical home for six hours a day will use 900 kilowatt/hours (kWh) per month. At a cost of $0.134 per kWh, this amounts to $120.60 per month. A large 12,000 BTU air conditioner, like that in a window, running six hours each day will consume 270 kWh, at a cost of $36.26 per month. A smaller 6,500 BTU room air conditioner will consume 144 kWh at a cost of $19.34 per month. Understanding Kilowatt-Hours The kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the standard unit of measurement for electricity in the United States. This is 1,000 watts of electricity being used for one hour. To calculate how much your air conditioner costs to run for an hour, look for its wattage on the box or in the instruction manual and multiply this by the number of hours you use it each day. For example, a 1,000-watt air conditioner running for one hour consumes 1 kWh. By comparison, a 60-watt light bulb running for an hour uses 0.06 kWh (60 watts divided by 1,000).

The cost of electricity varies by region. While the average cost in the US in 2011 was 12 cents per kWh, it was as high as 33 cents in Hawaii and as low as 8 cents in Idaho. Check your electric bill to determine your cost. Air Conditioner Size and BTUs The size of air conditioner you should purchase depends on the size of the rooms it will be cooling, how well your house is insulated, and whether or not the rooms are facing direct sunlight. An air conditioner's ability to cool is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). For example, to cool a 100- to 150-square-foot room that is well insulated and not facing direct sunlight, you need about 6,600 BTUs, which requires about 1,934 watts. The same room in direct sunlight requires about 7,260 BTUs, using 2,128 watts. A poorly insulated room in direct sunlight needs about 9240 BTUs, using 2708 watts. Cutting Costs A programmable thermostat can reduce the cost of central air conditioning if you program it at a higher temperature while you are at work and while you are sleeping.

The temperature you set the air conditioning at should be relative to the outside temperature. If the temperature outside is 90 degrees, setting the air conditioning to 78 should feel quite comfortable in comparison. Drawing the blinds during the day and opening windows at night when it is cool can also save you money. When purchasing an air conditioner, look for Energy Star units, which use up to 14 percent less energy than government requirements and may entitle you to a tax credit of up to 30 percent of its cost. References Energy Information Administration: How is Electricity Used in US Homes?Wellesley Massachusetts: How Much Does it Cost to Run My…?Michael Bluejay: How Much Does Electricity Cost?The Daily Green: How to Save Money on Air Conditioning Photo Credits Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images MORE MUST-CLICKS: How to Determine the Equity of My Home How to Maximize the Equity in a Home Annual Expense of Home Maintenance House Remortgage vs. Home Equity Transfer of an Equity Deed The Purpose of Debt Ratio How to Counter Offer if Selling a Home How to Purchase Solar Power for Off-Grid Homes How to Make an Offer on a Home Without