Cooling options ranked by running cost
| Cooling | Cost an hour | Works best for |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling or portable fan | 3-5c | Any room |
| Portable evaporative cooler | 5-7c | Rooms up to 20 m² |
| Ducted evaporative system | 44-59c | A 200 m² home with 125 m² cooled |
| Window refrigerative unit | 44-60c | Rooms up to 36 m² |
| Portable refrigerative unit | 55-75c | Rooms up to 20 m² |
| Split refrigerative system | 69-93c | Rooms up to 36 m² |
| Ducted refrigerative system | $1.79-$2.42 | A 200 m² home with 125 m² cooled |
Choosing the right cooling for your climate
Fans
- Cheapest to run
- Work alongside any other cooling
- Cool people, not the room
- Little help in extreme heat
Best for: Mild days and running with air conditioning.
Evaporative cooling
- Low running cost
- Fresh air
- Less effective when humid
- Uses water, up to 25 litres an hour per energy.gov.au
- Needs open windows
Best for: Dry heat, such as Adelaide, inland NSW and Victoria.
Refrigerative air conditioning
- Works in humid weather
- Precise temperature
- Heats in winter if reverse cycle
- Highest running cost
- Needs closed windows
Best for: Humid climates such as Brisbane and the north.
Cooling for less
Keep the heat out
Shade north and west windows with external blinds, awnings or trees, and close curtains early.
Set 24°C to 27°C
The SA Government's recommended range. Each degree cooler adds roughly 5% to 10% to energy use.
Cool one zone
Close internal doors and use zone controls on ducted systems.
Use the night air
When it is cooler outside, switch off and open up.
Run it in cheap hours
Pre-cool before the peak on time of use, or use free midday power. See leaving the air con on.
Price your own cooling
Our air conditioner and ceiling fan calculators use your own unit, hours and rate.
Questions about cheap cooling
Keeping heat out with shading, then fans. The SA Government puts fans at 3c to 5c an hour on a flat rate. Evaporative coolers are the next cheapest in dry climates.
Yes. The SA Government estimates a ducted evaporative system at 44c to 59c an hour including water, against $1.79 to $2.42 for a ducted refrigerative system cooling the same area.
No. They cool people by moving air across the skin. energy.gov.au says this can make a room feel about 3°C cooler, so switch fans off when you leave.
Between 24°C and 27°C, as the SA Government recommends. Each degree cooler adds roughly 5% to 10% to energy use.
Sources
Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.