There’s no single Tucson monthly AC cost, because it depends on your house, your system and your TEP plan. What you can do is run the math on your own bill and know which months drive it. Climate Pros Tucson can match you with a licensed pro if the number looks wrong.

How is the cost figured?

Your bill counts energy in kWh, short for kilowatt-hour. One kilowatt is 1,000 watts, and one kWh is one kilowatt used for one hour. The rule is simple:

AC cost = kWh your AC used x your price per kWh

kWh depends on how many kilowatts the unit draws and how long it runs. Price depends on your plan, and on the time of day if you’re on a time-based plan. TEP lists the current terms on its rate page.

Why is July the peak month?

Cooling degree days measure how much cooling a month demands. Tucson International Airport’s 1991-2020 normals show July with 720.7, the most of any month, against 0.7 in January. June has 634.3 and August has 678.9. July also has the warmest nights, with a normal low of 76.3F, so the AC gets no overnight break.

What changes the number?

  • Setpoint. Every degree you hold below the outdoor temperature adds runtime.
  • Duct leaks. ENERGY STAR says a typical forced-air house can lose about 20% to 30% of the air in its ducts to leaks and poor connections.
  • System efficiency. SEER2 is a seasonal cooling rating in Btu per watt-hour. A higher number means less energy per unit of cooling, though real savings vary with use.
  • Sun and shade. West-facing glass and bare roofs add load.
  • Rate plan. On TEP’s time-based plan, summer weekdays 3 to 7 p.m. are on-peak. See the best TEP rate plan for AC.

What about winter?

A heat pump heats with electricity, so it runs in winter too. Tucson’s heating demand is lower: 1,333 annual heating degree days against 3,424 cooling degree days. January shows 352.5 and December 372.9. Winter use is real but smaller.

How do you find your own number?

  1. Log in to your TEP account and open the usage history.
  2. Compare a mild month, like April, with July.
  3. The summer gap, minus other changes, is a rough read on cooling.
  4. Ask a pro whether a load or duct problem is pushing your runtime up.

Our guides on lowering your AC bill and why your TEP bill is high in summer go further.

Can a new system cut the bill?

A properly sized, well-ducted system can use less energy. We won’t promise a percentage, because it depends on your house. TEP’s Efficient Home Program lists instant rebates for qualifying installs, and amounts change, so confirm with TEP.

See AC installation and HVAC maintenance, or check the Tucson hub.

When to call us

If your bill jumped and nothing else changed, the system may be working harder than it should. Call (520) 353-2520 and we’ll match you with a licensed local pro.