Model
Tcl T08WQ2S
Rank #51 means 50 of the 404 room air conditioner models we track cost less to run each year; the 85th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 85% of those models.
What does the Tcl T08WQ2S cost to run per year?
Among the 404 room air conditioner models we track, the Tcl T08WQ2S's $74/yr running cost ranks it #51, comfortably in the cheap-to-run group. It uses 38% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $120/yr to run, a saving of roughly $46 a year. Size-adjusted, this model beats 85% of room air conditioner models we track on efficiency, one of the stronger results in its class. Its CEER of 15 reflects combined energy efficiency ratio, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Tcl H8W4MW at $74/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WHAW-081IN at $74/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 T08WQ2S's $74/yr adds up to roughly $740 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Black+Decker BD08NWES.
By the numbers
The Tcl T08WQ2S 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 $74/yr, here is what the Tcl T08WQ2S 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 T08WQ2S costs about $740. That is roughly $460 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1200 over the same ten years.
How the Tcl T08WQ2S compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $74/yr, it runs about $25 a year cheaper than the class median of $99, and it is about $23 a year more than the cheapest room air conditioner to run at $51. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $120/yr, the Tcl T08WQ2S uses 38% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 8000 BTU/hr, the Tcl T08WQ2S is a small room air conditioner for its class, which spans 5000 to 34100 BTU/hr with a median of 10100 BTU/hr, and smaller room air conditioner models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal. Beyond size, its CEER of 15, above the class median of 15, is the class's own efficiency yardstick, combined energy efficiency ratio, and it is what separates two similarly sized models with different running costs.
- 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 Tcl T08WQ2S cheap to run?
Yes. Its $74/yr running cost puts it at rank #51 of 404, below what most room air conditioner models we track cost to run.
How much does the Tcl T08WQ2S cost per month?
About $6.19 a month, which is the $74 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: 400 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $74 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Tcl T08WQ2S for its size?
85th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 102 | Tcl H8W4MW8000 BTU/hr | $74 |
| 101 | Tcl H8W4KW-CA8000 BTU/hr | $74 |
| 100 | Tcl H8W4KW8000 BTU/hr | $74 |
| 99 | Rovsun TIWC-08CRD18000 BTU/hr | $74 |
| 98 | Rovsun RVTIW-08CRD18000 BTU/hr | $74 |
Source
ES_1126578_T08WQ2S_08212025130747_80267014View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Tcl and T08WQ2S 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.