Model
Midea MAW18S2KWT-A
Rank #352 means 351 of the 404 room air conditioner models we track cost less to run each year; the 16th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 16% of those models.
What does the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A's $157/yr puts it at rank #352 of 404, one of the costlier room air conditioner models we track to keep running. It uses 50% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $313/yr to run, a saving of roughly $156 a year. Normalized for capacity, it beats only 16% of room air conditioner models we track, one of the weaker efficiency results we track for the class. Its CEER of 16 reflects combined energy efficiency ratio, one of the class's core efficiency levers.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Friedrich KCVS16B30A at $157/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea MWCUWH-18CRFN8-MCP0 at $157/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A room air conditioner typically stays in service for somewhere around 10 years; over that span, the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A's $157/yr adds up to roughly $1570 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Midea MWCUWH-18CRFN8-MCP0.
By the numbers
The Midea MAW18S2KWT-A normalized against its whole class, so each figure means something.
What it costs you over time
Running cost is an every-year number, so it compounds. At $157/yr, here is what the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A costs about $1570. That is roughly $1560 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $3130 over the same ten years.
How the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $157/yr, it runs about $58 a year above the class median of $99, and it is about $106 a year more than the cheapest room air conditioner to run at $51. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $313/yr, the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A uses 50% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 18000 BTU/hr, the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A is a large room air conditioner for its class, which spans 5000 to 34100 BTU/hr with a median of 10100 BTU/hr, among room air conditioner models, bigger capacity is the most common reason a running-cost figure lands on the high side, all else being equal. Its CEER of 16, above the class median of 15, reflects combined energy efficiency ratio: a higher figure means it wrings more useful work out of every kilowatt-hour, so it is the efficiency lever to weigh against raw size.
- Combined Energy Efficiency Ratio (CEER). CEER captures cooling output per watt, including standby power; a higher CEER means less electricity for the same BTU of cooling.
- BTU cooling capacity. A higher-BTU unit is sized for a bigger room and generally uses more electricity per hour of operation than a smaller unit, regardless of efficiency.
- Thermostat and mode usage. Running on a fixed low temperature around the clock uses far more energy than using a thermostat setting, eco mode, or a timer to match cooling to when the room is actually occupied.
Common questions
Is the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A cheap to run?
Not especially. At $157 a year it ranks #352 of 404 room air conditioner models we track, in the pricier part of its class to run, though its size and features may still justify that for your needs.
How much does the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A cost per month?
Roughly $13.05/mo, spreading the $157/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 844 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $157 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Midea MAW18S2KWT-A for its size?
16th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 351 | Friedrich KCVS16B30A16200 BTU/hr | $157 |
| 350 | Wallmaster WHVT14B33B14300 BTU/hr | $156 |
| 349 | Whirlpool WHAW-151IN15000 BTU/hr | $145 |
| 348 | Tcl T15WQ2S15000 BTU/hr | $145 |
| 347 | Tcl H15W4KW-CA15000 BTU/hr | $145 |
Source
ES_1138537_MAW18S2KWT-A_04142026105407_80294581View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Midea and MAW18S2KWT-A are used here for identification only and are not endorsements. Figures are computed by WattWise Labs from public ENERGY STAR data, not measured in our own lab.