What Will it Cost to Run A/C in Your Boston Apartment this Summer? Buy (or rent) one, pay a little more and adapt – or stay sweaty. Memorial Day is coming up fast. And for Boston apartment renters, that means beers, sleeveless shirts and buckets of sweat, coating the furniture and appliances crammed inside their tiny, perhaps overpriced units. Alas, air-conditioner-less tenants have two choices: A) Set aside some extra cash, buy a window A/C unit and cope with inflated electric bills; or B) Melt, and explain to everyone why he or she is the sweaty kid at impromptu BBQ parties. Thankfully, there are a couple of options for Boston tenants who don't already own an A/C unit. Tenants can start by doing some digging on Craigslist; there's no telling what kind of options are available. This 10,000 (large) BTU Kenmore A/C unit, for example, is on the market for a measly $30... ... and another Craigslist-er is offering-up 5,000 (standard size), 8,000 and 10,000 BTU units that cost $74, $99 and $149, respectively.

For an extra $19, buyers can have the A/C unit delivered; for $79, he or she will even install the unit.cost of installing ac unit in house If the thought of buying an air conditioner from Craigslist doesn't sit well, places like Home Depot and Best Buy offer standard, 5,000 BTU units for less than $140.who makes carrier ac units Cheapest units listed on Home Depot's website: $119york ac unit reviews Cheapest units listed on Best Buy's website: $134 Apartment renters who don't see the value in owning their own A/C – the summers are far too short, after all – and would rather not have to deal with storing the unit in the colder months, have the option of renting an air conditioner for the summer. For instance, North End-based startup RentAnAC lets customers rent 5,000 BTU A/C units.

, select the desired size (5,000 to 12,000 BTU units), schedule a delivery time and BOOM! An air conditioner will be delivered to a tenant's window – only the ones that slide up and down, though. "Our 5,000 BTU and our 8,000 BTU units are the most popular," a RentAnAC representative told BostInno. They cost $159 and $269, respectively. They are top of the line digital units and our flat-rate pricing includes delivery, expert installation, and pick-up at the end of the summer." Cost to rent a 5,000 BTU A/C unit from RentAnAC – $159 Cost for additional remote - $5 Rental season – April-October Perk – RentAnAC tells us they plant a tree for each unit rented. Those who wisely choose to install A/C must also consider electric costs, which will likely increase a little bit – keeping the A/C running at all hours of the day will, naturally, jack up costs even more. To prepare for the potential impact cool-living could have on their wallets, renters can contact NStar, Boston's electric service provider, and ask about monthly- or fixed-rate options.

Readers, take note: NStar bases its rate-pricing on cents per kilowatt hour (9.333 cents, e.g. the more kilowatt hours A/C users burn through, the more money comes out of their pockets). To get a sense of how much a summer's worth of comfortable, less-sweaty living will cost, feel free to consult this helpful home guide. According to the online home guide, most 5,000 BTU A/C units run on 550 watts. Taking NStar's kilowatt per house pricing into account, A/C users can project added electric costs by applying a simple mathematical formula, "watts x hours of use ÷ 1,000 x cost per kilowatt-hour = cost of operation. (Dividing by 1,000 changes watt-hours to kilowatt-hours.)" Calculating the cost to run A/C in Boston over a 24-hour period, using a 5,000 BTU unit: 550 x 24 ÷ 1,000 x 9.333 cents = $1.23 According to the formula, Bostonians could spend as much as $8.61 ($1.23 x 7 days) extra per week to pipe A/C into their apartments, continuously. Assuming the A/C season starts after Memorial Day and runs through September, electric bill payers could spend close to $140 to beat the heat for four months.

Estimated total cost to purchase/rent a standard A/C unit and run it through the summer in Boston: $170 - $300. Well worth it, my friends. Or else, you might end up as disgruntled as Johnny Drama in the Valley, during a 100 degree heatwave.Without central air conditioning running throughout the home, residents may get uncomfortably hot and sticky during the warmer summer months. While fans can be a temporary solution, they won't do much to combat particularly high temperatures or humidity. Installing a window AC unit can be a smart choice for homeowners who are on a limited budget. Use this guide to learn more about the pros and cons of window AC units as well as the various costs associated with buying and installing them. Average Minimum Cost of Window AC Units: $150 per unit Average Maximum Cost of Window AC Units: $750 per unit Advantages of a Window AC Unit The major advantages of having a window AC unit as the primary means of cooling a space include localized cooling, low costs and simple installation.

Rather than paying to cool an entire home whenever the resident feels warm, they can turn on a window AC unit and enjoy rapid cooling when and where it is needed. In addition, installing a window AC unit is straightforward, and most homeowners are able to do it themselves or with the help of a friend. Not needing professional installation can keep costs low. Finally, the expense of buying a window AC unit is marginal compared to the cost of installing an entire whole-home split-system or ductwork to run cool air. Disadvantages of a Window AC Unit While there are advantages to have a window AC unit, homeowners should also be aware of the potential drawbacks. These include noise, uneven cooling in the home, reduced curb appeal and limited views from inside the house. The noise of a window AC unit can be frustrating, especially when used in bedrooms, as it can make it hard to sleep. Unless there are window units in every room of the house, they can also result in uneven cooling.

Since window units are visible from inside the home as well as from the exterior of the home, they reduce curb appeal and limit interior views, which can both reduce the total value of the home. Choosing the Right BTU for the Space A primary factor that will influence the cost of the window AC unit will be BTU, or British Thermal Unit, that dictates how much energy is used. To cool a small 200 square-foot room, for example, a window AC unit with just 6,000 BTUs may be sufficient. For a larger space, such as a 900 square-foot room, homeowners will need closer to 15,000 BTUs, which will increase the price of the unit and the user's monthly energy bill. Factors that Affect the Cost of Window AC Units Additional elements that might influence the total cost of a window AC unit could include the following: Size of the window AC unit Quality of the unit Whether the window AC unit is new or used Higher EER, or Energy Efficiency Ratings, increase purchase cost