Model
Tcl H12W4KWH
Rank #221 means 220 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 Tcl H12W4KWH cost to run per year?
The Tcl H12W4KWH costs about $110 a year to run, a middle-of-the-pack figure at rank #221 of 404. It uses 39% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $180/yr to run, a saving of roughly $70 a year. Its 46th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is unremarkable, close to what a typical model in the class scores. The CEER figure of 15.2 on this model captures combined energy efficiency ratio, the main efficiency lever ENERGY STAR tracks for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Midea MWAUQB-12CRFN8-BCN12 at $110/yr runs a little cheaper and the Tcl H12W4KWH-CA at $110/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 Tcl H12W4KWH's $110/yr adds up to roughly $1100 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Midea 1010451379.
By the numbers
The Tcl H12W4KWH 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 $110/yr, here is what the Tcl H12W4KWH adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Tcl H12W4KWH costs about $1100. That is roughly $700 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1800 over the same ten years.
How the Tcl H12W4KWH compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $110/yr, it runs about $11 a year above the class median of $99, and it is about $59 a year more than the cheapest room air conditioner to run at $51. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $180/yr, the Tcl H12W4KWH uses 39% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 12000 BTU/hr, the Tcl H12W4KWH is a mid-size room air conditioner for its class, which spans 5000 to 34100 BTU/hr with a median of 10100 BTU/hr, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone. The CEER of 15.2 on this model, above 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 Tcl H12W4KWH cheap to run?
It is about average. At $110 a year it ranks #221 of 404 room air conditioner models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Tcl H12W4KWH cost per month?
Roughly $9.16/mo, spreading the $110/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 592 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $110 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Tcl H12W4KWH for its size?
46th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
Source
ES_1126578_H12W4KWH_07302025121421_80239506View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Tcl and H12W4KWH 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.