Model
Seasons ST12VB1
Rank #298 means 297 of the 404 room air conditioner models we track cost less to run each year; the 27th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 27% of those models.
What does the Seasons ST12VB1 cost to run per year?
The Seasons ST12VB1 is a relatively costly runner for its class: about $120 a year, rank #298 of 404. It uses 46% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $223/yr to run, a saving of roughly $103 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 27 is below the class median, worth weighing alongside the raw dollar figure. Its CEER of 13.9 reflects combined energy efficiency ratio, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Midea MWEUTW-12CRFN8-MCM9 at $120/yr runs a little cheaper and the Seasons ST12VB2 at $120/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 Seasons ST12VB1's $120/yr adds up to roughly $1200 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Midea MAT12R1FWTK.
By the numbers
The Seasons ST12VB1 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 $120/yr, here is what the Seasons ST12VB1 adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Seasons ST12VB1 costs about $1200. That is roughly $1030 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $2230 over the same ten years.
How the Seasons ST12VB1 compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $120/yr, it runs about $21 a year above the class median of $99, and it is about $69 a year more than the cheapest room air conditioner to run at $51. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $223/yr, the Seasons ST12VB1 uses 46% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 12000 BTU/hr, the Seasons ST12VB1 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 13.9 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). CEER captures cooling output per watt, including standby power; a higher CEER means less electricity for the same BTU of cooling.
- BTU cooling capacity. A higher-BTU unit is sized for a bigger room and generally uses more electricity per hour of operation than a smaller unit, regardless of efficiency.
- Thermostat and mode usage. Running on a fixed low temperature around the clock uses far more energy than using a thermostat setting, eco mode, or a timer to match cooling to when the room is actually occupied.
Common questions
Is the Seasons ST12VB1 cheap to run?
Not especially. At $120 a year it ranks #298 of 404 room air conditioner models we track, in the pricier part of its class to run, though its size and features may still justify that for your needs.
How much does the Seasons ST12VB1 cost per month?
Roughly $10.01/mo, spreading the $120/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 648 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $120 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Seasons ST12VB1 for its size?
27th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
Source
ES_1095007_ST12VB1_05292026112348_80299305View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Seasons and ST12VB1 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.