How many watts does a mini-split use?
A mini-split uses 500–2,000 W (about 1,000 W on average). Running 8 hours/day, that is about 8.00 kWh a day and 240.0 kWh a month — roughly $43.94 a month at the U.S. average rate of 18.31 ¢/kWh.
This is the mini-split electricity usage reference: watts, amps on a 240 V circuit, the kWh math, and links to what that usage costs in each state.
Watts, amps, and kWh for a mini-split
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated wattage range | 500–2,000 W |
| Average draw used in our math | 1,000 W |
| Amps at 240 V | 2.1–8.3 A (4.2 A at the average draw) |
| kWh per hour | 1.00 kWh |
| kWh per day at 8 hours/day | 8.00 kWh |
| kWh per month | 240.0 kWh |
| Cost per month at the U.S. average (18.31 ¢/kWh) | $43.94 |
The math is kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1000 and amps = watts ÷ volts. A mini-split is normally wired for 240 V in US homes; a 120 V unit of the same wattage would draw twice the amps. For the dollars in your state, open cost to run a mini-split in Texas and switch states from there.
Mini-Split electricity usage profile
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| kWh per hour | 1.00 kWh |
| kWh per day (typical) | 8.00 kWh |
| kWh per month (typical) | 240.0 kWh |
| kWh per year (typical) | 2920.0 kWh |
| Low runtime scenario | 4 hours/day |
| High runtime scenario | 12 hours/day |
Connect usage to cost tools
Related appliance usage pages
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. Last dataset period: July 2026. Usage calculations use fixed appliance wattage and runtime assumptions so results stay comparable across pages.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a mini-split use?
A mini-split uses 500–2,000 W (about 1,000 W on average). Our usage and cost math uses 1,000 watts running 8 hours/day.
How many amps does a mini-split draw?
On a 240 V circuit, 500–2,000 W works out to about 2.1–8.3 A; at the 1,000 W we use in the math that is 4.2 A.
How much electricity does a mini-split use per month?
About 240.0 kWh a month at 8 hours/day. Lighter use (4 hours/day) comes to roughly 120.0 kWh and heavier use (12 hours/day) roughly 360.0 kWh.
How much does it cost to run a mini-split?
About $43.94 a month at the U.S. average rate of 18.31 ¢/kWh — from roughly $30.53 in Louisiana to $115.20 in Hawaii at the same usage. The state cost-to-run pages price it at every state's rate.