Model
Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A
Rank #219 means 218 of the 404 room air conditioner models we track cost less to run each year; the 46th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 46% of those models.
What does the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A cost to run per year?
The Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A holds rank #219 of 404 on running cost, at about $109 a year, an unremarkable but typical figure for the class. It uses 35% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $168/yr to run, a saving of roughly $59 a year. Size-adjusted, this model sits close to the class median on efficiency, ahead of 46% of room air conditioner models we track. Its CEER of 14.7 reflects combined energy efficiency ratio, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the K�Hl KCVS12B10B at $106/yr runs a little cheaper and the House Kobo KOBOGJC12BU at $109/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A room air conditioner typically stays in service for somewhere around 10 years; over that span, the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A's $109/yr adds up to roughly $1090 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: House Kobo KOBOGJC12BU.
By the numbers
The Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A normalized against its whole class, so each figure means something.
What it costs you over time
Running cost is an every-year number, so it compounds. At $109/yr, here is what the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A costs about $1090. That is roughly $590 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1680 over the same ten years.
How the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $109/yr, it runs about $10 a year above the class median of $99, and it is about $58 a year more than the cheapest room air conditioner to run at $51. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $168/yr, the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A uses 35% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 11500 BTU/hr, the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A is a mid-size room air conditioner for its class, which spans 5000 to 34100 BTU/hr with a median of 10100 BTU/hr, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost. The CEER of 14.7 on this model, below the class median of 15, measures combined energy efficiency ratio; it is the number to compare directly against another model's CEER if capacity is similar.
- Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER). Two units with the same BTU rating can post very different running costs, and CEER is the figure that explains most of that gap.
- BTU cooling capacity. BTU rating scales with room size, and it is usually the first driver of an air conditioner's running cost, ahead of its CEER figure.
- Thermostat and mode usage. How the unit is actually operated, thermostat cycling versus a fixed setting, moves real electricity use more than the rated BTU or CEER figure alone.
Common questions
Is the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $109/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #219 of 404, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A cost per month?
About $9.07 a month, which is the $109 annual estimate spread across twelve months at the US average rate of $0.1856/kWh. Your own bill scales with your local electricity rate and how heavily you use it.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
The formula is annual kWh times price per kWh: 587 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $109 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Gree GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A for its size?
46th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 218 | K�Hl KCVS12B10B12300 BTU/hr | $106 |
| 217 | K�Hl KCVS12B30B12700 BTU/hr | $105 |
| 216 | Tcl W12WC72-B12000 BTU/hr | $104 |
| 215 | Tcl W12WC7212000 BTU/hr | $104 |
| 214 | Tcl T12WV9SB12000 BTU/hr | $104 |
Source
ES_1105164_GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A_12092024163219_80232913View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Gree and GJC12BU-A6DRNJ2A are used here for identification only and are not endorsements. Figures are computed by WattWise Labs from public ENERGY STAR data, not measured in our own lab.