Model
Tcl H15W4KW-CA
Rank #345 means 344 of the 404 room air conditioner models we track cost less to run each year; the 17th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 17% of those models.
What does the Tcl H15W4KW-CA cost to run per year?
The Tcl H15W4KW-CA costs about $145 a year to run, sitting well up the cheapest-to-run leaderboard, rank #345 of 404. It uses 35% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $223/yr to run, a saving of roughly $78 a year. Its 17th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is well below the class median, worth weighing against the raw cost figure above. At a CEER of 14.4, its combined energy efficiency ratio is the single figure that best explains how it earns its running-cost number.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Tcl H15W4KW at $145/yr runs a little cheaper and the Tcl T15WQ2S at $145/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 H15W4KW-CA's $145/yr adds up to roughly $1450 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Friedrich CCV15A10A.
By the numbers
The Tcl H15W4KW-CA 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 $145/yr, here is what the Tcl H15W4KW-CA 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 H15W4KW-CA costs about $1450. That is roughly $780 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $2230 over the same ten years.
How the Tcl H15W4KW-CA compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $145/yr, it runs about $46 a year above the class median of $99, and it is about $94 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 Tcl H15W4KW-CA uses 35% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 15000 BTU/hr, the Tcl H15W4KW-CA is a large room air conditioner for its class, which spans 5000 to 34100 BTU/hr with a median of 10100 BTU/hr, and larger room air conditioner models generally cost more to run than smaller ones in the same class, simply because there is more to keep cold, spin, heat, or light. Its CEER of 14.4, below the class median of 15, reflects combined energy efficiency ratio: a higher figure means it wrings more useful work out of every kilowatt-hour, so it is the efficiency lever to weigh against raw size.
- 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 H15W4KW-CA cheap to run?
Not especially. At $145 a year it ranks #345 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 Tcl H15W4KW-CA cost per month?
Roughly $12.08/mo, spreading the $145/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 781 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $145 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Tcl H15W4KW-CA for its size?
17th 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_1126578_H15W4KW-CA_12102024105744_80172671View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Tcl and H15W4KW-CA 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.