Model
Tcl T12WV9S
Rank #207 means 206 of the 404 room air conditioner models we track cost less to run each year; the 49th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 49% of those models.
What does the Tcl T12WV9S cost to run per year?
The Tcl T12WV9S costs about $104 a year to run, a middle-of-the-pack figure at rank #207 of 404. It uses 47% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $197/yr to run, a saving of roughly $93 a year. Its 49th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is unremarkable, close to what a typical model in the class scores. At a CEER of 16, its combined energy efficiency ratio is the single figure that best explains how it earns its running-cost number.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Tcl T12WV4S at $104/yr runs a little cheaper and the Tcl T12WV9SB at $104/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 T12WV9S's $104/yr adds up to roughly $1040 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Midea MAW12V1WBK.
By the numbers
The Tcl T12WV9S 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 $104/yr, here is what the Tcl T12WV9S 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 T12WV9S costs about $1040. That is roughly $930 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1970 over the same ten years.
How the Tcl T12WV9S compares
The room air conditioner class we track runs from $51 to $389 a year. At $104/yr, it runs about $5 a year above the class median of $99, and it is about $53 a year more than the cheapest room air conditioner to run at $51. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $197/yr, the Tcl T12WV9S uses 47% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 12000 BTU/hr, the Tcl T12WV9S is a mid-size room air conditioner for its class, which spans 5000 to 34100 BTU/hr with a median of 10100 BTU/hr, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost. Beyond size, its CEER of 16, above the class median of 15, is the class's own efficiency yardstick, combined energy efficiency ratio, and it is what separates two similarly sized models with different running costs.
- 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 Tcl T12WV9S cheap to run?
It is about average. At $104 a year it ranks #207 of 404 room air conditioner models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Tcl T12WV9S cost per month?
Roughly $8.7/mo, spreading the $104/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 563 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $104 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Tcl T12WV9S for its size?
49th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 212 | Tcl T12WV4S12000 BTU/hr | $104 |
| 211 | Midea MWEUWA-12CRFN8-BCP012000 BTU/hr | $104 |
| 210 | Midea MAW12V1WWT-T12000 BTU/hr | $104 |
| 209 | Midea MAW12V1WWT12000 BTU/hr | $104 |
| 208 | Midea MAW12V1WBK-T12000 BTU/hr | $104 |
Source
ES_1126578_T12WV9S_11122025105736_80268948View certified room air conditioner listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Tcl and T12WV9S 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.