TCL W5WC72M-B: running cost
At 273.7 kWh/yr, the TCL W5WC72M-B's ENERGY STAR certification puts it one of the cheaper models in its category to run against every other certified room air conditioner.
That $51 is priced at 18.8¢/kWh, the average of all 51 state rates this site tracks. Your own state's rate is one click away.
How the TCL W5WC72M-B compares to other room air conditioners
Against the category average of 603 kWh/yr, this model uses 54.6% less, ranking 11 of 447 room air conditioners tracked here for running cost. 447 certified room air conditioners, one average, about $62/year of daylight between it and this model; the full methodology has the rest.
Neighbouring models
Right next to the TCL W5WC72M-B on that list: TCL W5WC72M ($51/yr, 273.7 kWh/yr) runs slightly less, while Midea MAW06S1KWT-A ($53/yr, 281.3 kWh/yr) runs slightly more.
Comparing TCL's own models
Ranked 8 of TCL's 59 certified room air conditioners, this sits between the T05WV9M ($51/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the T24WQ2S ($266/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical room air conditioner's service life at 10 years; run the TCL W5WC72M-B that long and it costs about $515 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified room air conditioners go, $51/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners before buying.
If you're keeping it
The TCL W5WC72M-B already costs $51/year to run; a repair bill on top of that is the kind of expense a protection plan exists to smooth out.
How this was checked
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 273.7 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 11 of 447, the TCL W5WC72M-B sits in the middle of the room air conditioner category, see the guide to why your state changes this number for the other half of the math.