Model
Tcl T08WV3S
Rank #26 means 25 of the 404 room air conditioner models we track cost less to run each year; the 91st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 91% of those models.
What does the Tcl T08WV3S cost to run per year?
The Tcl T08WV3S holds rank #26 of 404 on running cost, at about $70 a year, a genuinely cheap result for the class. It uses 47% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $131/yr to run, a saving of roughly $61 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 91 sits well above the class median, a clearly above-average efficiency result. The CEER figure of 16 on this model captures combined energy efficiency ratio, the main efficiency lever ENERGY STAR tracks for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Midea MWEUWA-08CRFN8-BCP0 at $70/yr runs a little cheaper and the Tcl T08WV9S at $70/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 Tcl T08WV3S's $70/yr adds up to roughly $700 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Ge PWJV08W**#.
By the numbers
The Tcl T08WV3S 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 $70/yr, here is what the Tcl T08WV3S adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Tcl T08WV3S costs about $700. That is roughly $610 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1310 over the same ten years.
How the Tcl T08WV3S compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $70/yr, it runs about $29 a year cheaper than the class median of $99, and it is about $19 a year more than the cheapest room air conditioner to run at $51. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $131/yr, the Tcl T08WV3S uses 47% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 8000 BTU/hr, the Tcl T08WV3S is a small room air conditioner for its class, which spans 5000 to 34100 BTU/hr with a median of 10100 BTU/hr, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency even enters the picture. 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). Two units with the same BTU rating can post very different running costs, and CEER is the figure that explains most of that gap.
- BTU cooling capacity. BTU rating scales with room size, and it is usually the first driver of an air conditioner's running cost, ahead of its CEER figure.
- Thermostat and mode usage. How the unit is actually operated, thermostat cycling versus a fixed setting, moves real electricity use more than the rated BTU or CEER figure alone.
Common questions
Is the Tcl T08WV3S cheap to run?
Yes. Its $70/yr running cost puts it at rank #26 of 404, below what most room air conditioner models we track cost to run.
How much does the Tcl T08WV3S cost per month?
About $5.8 a month, which is the $70 annual estimate spread across twelve months at the US average rate of $0.1856/kWh. Your own bill scales with your local electricity rate and how heavily you use it.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
The formula is annual kWh times price per kWh: 375 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $70 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Tcl T08WV3S for its size?
91st percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Midea MWEUWA-08CRFN8-BCP08000 BTU/hr | $70 |
| 35 | Midea MWAUQB-08CRFN8-BCP08000 BTU/hr | $70 |
| 34 | Midea MAW08V1WWT-T8000 BTU/hr | $70 |
| 33 | Midea MAW08V1WWT8000 BTU/hr | $70 |
| 32 | Midea MAW08V1WBK-T8000 BTU/hr | $70 |
Source
ES_1126578_T08WV3S_11122025105736_80268948View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Tcl and T08WV3S 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.