Quick answer: cooling an 800 sq ft shop for 10 hours a day costs about ₹2,250 a month in electricity with one 750 W AUSH Blower Cooler, against roughly ₹9,000–₹13,500 a month with the three 1.5-ton air conditioners the same space needs (at ₹10 per unit). An air cooler costs about a quarter or less to run and far less to buy, but it only cools well in dry weather and needs open ventilation. An AC works in any weather, but needs a closed room.
How to Work Out Running Cost
Every appliance's electricity cost comes from the same formula:
Monthly cost = power (watts) ÷ 1,000 × hours per day × days × your rate per unit (₹/kWh)
We use ₹10 per unit in the examples below. Check your own electricity bill: commercial connections usually pay more per unit than homes, so replace ₹10 with your actual rate.
Running Cost: Air Cooler
An AUSH Blower Cooler draws 750 W and moves 2,300 CFM of air, enough for up to 800 sq ft (see our air cooler size guide).
- Per hour: 0.75 units, or about ₹7.50
- Per day (10 hours): 7.5 units, or about ₹75
- Per month (30 days): 225 units, or about ₹2,250
An air cooler also uses water, which it evaporates to cool the air. The water cost is usually small next to electricity, but you need a reliable supply to keep the tank filled.
Running Cost: Industrial Duct Coolers for Larger Spaces
For workshops, godowns, factories and halls, AUSH Industrial Duct Coolers move much more air. Monthly costs below are for 10 hours a day, 30 days, at ₹10 per unit:
- Duct Cooler 60 L (2,300 CFM, 0.76 kW): about ₹7.60 an hour, or ₹2,280 a month. Covers up to about 800 sq ft.
- Duct Cooler 90 L (6,500 CFM, 0.87 kW): about ₹8.70 an hour, or ₹2,610 a month. Covers up to about 2,250 sq ft.
- Duct Cooler 120 L (11,500 CFM, 1.66 kW): about ₹16.60 an hour, or ₹4,980 a month. Covers up to about 4,000 sq ft.
- Duct Cooler 150 L (11,500 CFM, 2.07 kW): about ₹20.70 an hour, or ₹6,210 a month. Covers up to about 4,000 sq ft.
Coverage figures are for normal use with a 10 ft ceiling. For kitchens, machine shops or crowded halls, allow roughly 40% less area per cooler.
The bigger units are where the savings over air conditioning become dramatic. A 2,000 sq ft workshop needs roughly 10–16 tons of AC (seven to eleven 1.5-ton units), which would cost roughly ₹21,000–₹49,500 a month to run on the same basis. One 90 L Duct Cooler covers the same floor for about ₹2,610.
Running Cost: Air Conditioners for the Same Space
As a rule of thumb, an AC needs about 1 ton of capacity for every 125–200 sq ft in Indian summer conditions (see our cooler vs hybrid vs AC vs chiller guide). An 800 sq ft shop therefore needs about 4–6 tons: at least three 1.5-ton ACs.
- A 1.5-ton inverter split AC draws about 1.5 kW at full power, and typically averages around 1.0–1.5 kW on hot afternoons.
- Three units: about 3–4.5 kW together
- Per month (10 hours a day, 30 days): about 900–1,350 units, or about ₹9,000–₹13,500
Actual AC consumption depends on the star rating, the outside temperature, how well the shop is sealed and the set temperature. Every degree higher on the thermostat saves power.
Side-by-Side for an 800 sq ft Shop
- Equipment: one AUSH Blower Cooler, or three 1.5-ton ACs
- Electricity: about ₹2,250 a month, or about ₹9,000–₹13,500 a month
- Purchase price: AUSH Blower Coolers start at ₹8,500; three 1.5-ton inverter ACs plus installation usually cost well over ten times that
- Installation: the cooler plugs into a normal 220 V socket; ACs need outdoor units, copper piping and wiring
- Doors and windows: the cooler needs them open for ventilation; ACs need them closed
- Humid weather: the cooler gives much less cooling; ACs work well and also dry the air
- Temperature: the cooler gives several degrees of cooling (up to about 14°C in very dry heat); an AC holds a set temperature
Which Should You Choose?
Choose an air cooler if your shop has its door open to customers through the day, the weather where you are is hot and dry in the months you most need cooling, and running cost matters. This fits most shops, workshops and godowns in inland Maharashtra. An AC in a shop with an open door spends much of its power cooling the street.
Choose an AC if the space can be kept closed (an office, clinic or server room), you need a fixed temperature, or the air is humid for much of the year, as in coastal cities. Our guide on why air coolers stop working in humid weather shows how much cooling to expect at each humidity level.
Consider AushCool if you want more than an evaporative cooler can give in humid weather. It cools with chilled water through a cooling coil, so it does not add moisture to the room.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many units of electricity does an air cooler use per hour?
An AUSH Blower Cooler draws 750 W, which is 0.75 units (kWh) per hour, or about ₹7.50 an hour at ₹10 per unit.
How much does it cost to run an air cooler for a month?
About ₹2,250 for 10 hours a day over 30 days at ₹10 per unit. At 8 hours a day it is about ₹1,800.
Is an air cooler cheaper to run than an AC?
Yes, by a wide margin. For the same 800 sq ft shop, one 750 W cooler uses roughly a quarter or less of the electricity of the three 1.5-ton ACs needed to cool it, but it cools less in humid weather.
What does it cost to cool a large workshop or godown?
With AUSH Industrial Duct Coolers, about ₹2,610 a month for up to 2,250 sq ft (90 L model) and about ₹4,980 a month for up to 4,000 sq ft (120 L model), at 10 hours a day and ₹10 per unit. Air conditioning the same space typically costs about eight times as much or more.
Can I run an air cooler on an inverter or generator?
A 750 W cooler needs much less backup capacity than an AC. Check that your inverter or generator can supply at least 750 W continuously plus whatever else is connected, with some margin for the motor's extra draw when it starts.
