What Is the Average Cost of Running AC All Summer?

Have a heating or cooling question about your home? Call (604) 359-1081 or request a free written quote.

Why There's No Single 'Average' Number

Ask five different HVAC sources for the 'average' summer AC cost and you'll get five different answers, because too many variables change the math. Your actual cost depends on the size and age of your AC or heat pump, how well your home holds cool air, your BC Hydro rate tier, your thermostat habits, and how many genuinely hot days show up in a given year.

Metro Vancouver's summers are milder than most of Canada and the US, with relatively few days above 30°C. That keeps typical cooling costs here lower than in hotter regions, but heat waves have become more common in recent years, and those stretches are when inefficient or undersized systems run the hardest and cost the most.

What Actually Drives the Cost

• System efficiency: A newer, higher-SEER air conditioner or heat pump uses less electricity to produce the same cooling than an older unit.
• System size: An undersized AC runs constantly trying to keep up; an oversized one short-cycles and wastes energy. Both cost more than a properly sized system.
• Home insulation and air sealing: Heat leaking in through attics, windows, and gaps around doors forces the system to run longer.
• Thermostat settings: Every degree lower you set the thermostat, and every hour you run it unnecessarily while away, adds to the bill.
• Ductwork condition: Leaky or poorly insulated ducts can lose a meaningful share of cooled air before it reaches your rooms.
• How hot the summer actually is: A mild July costs less than a summer with multiple heat wave weeks.

How to Estimate Your Own Cost

The most reliable way to know your own number is to check your BC Hydro usage for last summer's billing cycles and compare them to a shoulder-season month like May or October when the AC barely runs. The difference is roughly what cooling cost you. BC Hydro's online account tools show daily and monthly usage, which makes this comparison straightforward.

If you're shopping for a new system and want a realistic before-and-after comparison, ask for the unit's efficiency rating and have a contractor run a proper load calculation for your home rather than guessing at size. An oversized or undersized system is one of the biggest hidden costs homeowners run into.

Ways to Lower the Cost

• Keep the thermostat a few degrees higher than you might in a hotter climate, and use a programmable or smart thermostat to avoid cooling an empty house.
• Change or clean the air filter regularly so the system isn't working against restricted airflow.
• Have the outdoor unit's coils cleaned and the refrigerant charge checked if the system is more than a few years old.
• Seal obvious air leaks and add attic insulation where it's thin, since this reduces the cooling load year after year.
• If your current system is old, ask about efficiency options when it's time to replace it. FortisBC and CleanBC have rebate programs for qualifying heat pumps that can offset part of the cost, though details and amounts change, so check current program terms directly.

When to Call a Professional

If your cooling bill jumped noticeably compared to a previous summer without a change in weather or habits, or your system is running long cycles without cooling the house evenly, it's worth having a technician check refrigerant levels, airflow, and overall system condition. CANRO can run a diagnostic visit and give you a free written quote if anything needs repair, along with straight answers on whether your current system is sized and running the way it should be.

Frequently asked questions

Reviewed by the CANRO Heating & Cooling service team — July 07, 2026. Technical Safety BC gas licence LGA0043870 · boiler licence LBP0046450 · Red Seal certified · WorkSafeBC and liability insured · 4.9★ from 85+ Google reviews · serving Metro Vancouver since 1999 · (604) 359-1081.