How many units does an AC, fridge, fan or water motor use?
Your bill counts units. This guide shows the watts behind each common appliance, turns them into monthly units, and shows where the 200-unit line catches families out.
Short answer
One unit is one kilowatt-hour (kWh). A 1.5 ton non-inverter AC draws roughly 1,600 to 2,000 watts while its compressor runs, so it uses about 1.6 to 2 units per hour. A 1.5 ton inverter AC can draw a similar amount at full power but usually settles far lower once the room is cool, often around 0.5 to 0.9 units per hour.
A conventional ceiling fan uses about 0.1 unit per hour, an efficient DC fan about a third of that, a fridge roughly 1 to 2.5 units a day, and a 1 hp water motor close to 1 unit for every hour it runs.
The formula: watts × hours ÷ 1000
The unit on your LESCO, MEPCO or K-Electric bill is a kilowatt-hour: 1,000 watts for one hour, or 100 watts for ten hours. The arithmetic is the same one the US Department of Energy uses in its appliance guide: multiply the wattage by the hours used per day and divide by 1,000 to get daily units.
For a month, multiply the daily figure by the number of days the appliance actually runs. A fan running 12 hours a day for 30 days is 360 hours; at 100 watts that is 100 × 360 ÷ 1000 = 36 units.
The wattage you need is on the rating plate, usually a sticker on the back or the side of the appliance, or in the manual. If it shows only amps, multiply amps by 230 volts for an upper estimate of watts.
Real life is messier than the formula. Fridges, irons, geysers and non-inverter ACs switch on and off on a thermostat, and inverter appliances change speed minute to minute, so this guide uses ranges instead of single numbers.
Typical watts for common Pakistani appliances
These are typical running ranges, not exact figures. The pink meter places each range on a 0 to 3,000 watt scale so the heavy loads stand out. Check your own model's plate before relying on any number.
1.5 ton AC, non-inverter
One-speed compressor that cycles on and off; in June heat it rarely rests.
1.5 ton AC, inverter
High while cooling a hot room, much lower once it holds the temperature.
Refrigerator
Plugged in all day but cycling: roughly 1 to 2.5 units a day.
Deep freezer
Colder setting than a fridge, so the compressor works longer.
Ceiling fan, conventional
Small alone, large in total across four or five fans.
Ceiling fan, DC / inverter
The 30 W on the box is usually a medium-speed figure.
LED bulb or tube
Rarely the problem in an LED home.
Electric iron
Heavy draw, short use; the thermostat cycles the element.
Washing machine
Twin-tub wash cycle; models with a water heater draw far more.
Water motor, 1 hp
1 hp is 746 W of output; input is higher because of losses.
Electric geyser
The heaviest winter load in many homes.
Microwave oven
The 800 W on the front is output; input is higher.
Fan and inverter AC figures come from the sources listed at the end; other ranges are typical rating-plate values and vary by model.
Monthly units at a glance
The table applies the formula to everyday hours using a middle value from each range.
| Appliance | Typical watts | Hours a day | Units a day | Units in 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 ton AC, non-inverter | 1,500 avg | 8 | 12 | 360 |
| 1.5 ton AC, inverter (settled) | 800 avg | 8 | 6.4 | 192 |
| Ceiling fan, conventional | 100 | 12 | 1.2 | 36 |
| Ceiling fan, DC | 35 | 12 | 0.42 | 12.6 |
| Refrigerator | — | 24 (cycling) | 1.5 | 45 |
| LED bulb | 12 | 6 | 0.072 | 2.16 |
| Water motor, 1 hp | 1,000 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 22.5 |
| Iron | 1,200 | 0.33 (20 min) | 0.4 | 12 |
| Electric geyser | 2,000 | 1 | 2 | 60 |
| Microwave | 1,200 | 0.25 (15 min) | 0.3 | 9 |
The non-inverter AC figure uses 1,500 W as an average rather than its full rating, to allow for some compressor cycling at night. On the hottest days it can go higher.
How many units does an AC use? Inverter vs non-inverter
Tonnage describes cooling, not electricity. One ton is 12,000 BTU per hour, so a 1.5 ton AC removes about 18,000 BTU, or 5.3 kW, of heat per hour. The electricity it needs is much smaller and depends on efficiency.
For a real reference point, a published spec for a Haier 1.5 ton inverter split AC lists 5,200 W of cooling capacity and 1,780 W of power consumption. That is about 2.9 watts of cooling per watt of electricity at full output; a non-inverter unit of similar efficiency draws close to that whenever its compressor runs.
The inverter advantage shows up after the first half hour. Instead of switching off and on, the inverter compressor slows down. How low it goes depends on outside heat, room size, insulation and the set temperature. The 500 to 900 W used here for a settled inverter AC is a working estimate, not a lab figure.
Same bedroom, two kinds of AC
A hypothetical family in Multan runs a 1.5 ton AC from 11 pm to 7 am every night in June. Compare an older non-inverter unit averaging 1,500 W with an inverter unit averaging 800 W.
- Hours per month: 8 hours × 30 nights = 240 hours.
- Non-inverter: 1,500 × 240 ÷ 1000 = 360 units.
- Inverter: 800 × 240 ÷ 1000 = 192 units.
- Difference: 360 − 192 = 168 units a month from one room.
- Rough rupee value: at the non-protected base rate of Rs36.46 for the 301–400 slab, 168 units × Rs36.46 = Rs6,125.28, before fuel adjustment, surcharges and tax.
The inverter AC alone reaches 192 units. Add fans, a fridge and a motor and the house crosses 200, which is why the slab section below matters as much as the AC choice.
Appliance units calculator
Tick what you use, then set quantity and daily hours. Replace the typical watts with your own rating-plate numbers for a better estimate.
Monthly units estimator
Units = watts × quantity × hours × days ÷ 1000. Fridges and freezers are entered as average watts over 24 hours.
The fridge (60 W) and freezer (85 W) defaults equal about 1.4 and 2 units a day. If a label gives yearly kWh, divide by 8.76 for average watts.
Monthly units: a summer month vs a winter month
Take a hypothetical five-marla house in Lahore with one inverter AC, three conventional fans, a fridge, five LEDs, a 1 hp motor, an iron, a twin-tub washer and a TV. The hours are assumptions.
June (30 days)
- Inverter AC, 800 W × 8 h192
- 3 fans, 100 W × 11 h99
- Fridge, 1.5 units/day45
- Motor, 1,000 W × 45 min22.5
- Iron, 1,200 W × 20 min12
- 5 LEDs, 12 W × 6 h10.8
- TV, 100 W × 3 h9
- Washer, 8 washes × 1 h × 400 W3.2
January (30 days)
- AC and fans off0
- Fridge, 1 unit/day30
- Motor, 1,000 W × 45 min22.5
- 5 LEDs, 12 W × 7 h12.6
- Iron, 1,200 W × 20 min12
- TV, 100 W × 3 h9
- Washer, 8 washes × 1 h × 400 W3.2
Add a 2,000 W electric geyser for one hour a day and January rises by 60 units to about 149.
What the two months cost in energy charges
- June slab: 394 units falls in the 301–400 band. Non-protected consumers pay every unit at that band's base rate: 394 × Rs36.46 = Rs14,365.24.
- January if the house were protected: 89 units × Rs10.54 = Rs938.06.
- January in reality: this house also crossed 200 units in August and September, so January is still inside the six-month window and billed at the non-protected 1–100 rate: 89 × Rs22.44 = Rs1,997.16.
- With the electric geyser: 149 units at the non-protected 101–200 rate is 149 × Rs28.91 = Rs4,307.59, against Rs1,691.49 if the house had kept protected status (100 × Rs10.54 + 49 × Rs13.01).
That last figure is Rs1,997.16 − Rs938.06, for the no-geyser case. These are base energy rates only; fixed charges, fuel price adjustment, the debt surcharge and GST come on top, as explained in our guide to reading your electricity bill.
Why crossing 200 units changes the whole bill
A domestic consumer who stays at 200 units or less in each of the previous six months is "protected" and pays the lowest residential rates. One month above 200 ends that for the next six bills. The rule, and how to check your history, is covered in detail in protected vs non-protected electricity consumers.
Base residential rates in force since February 2026, before fixed charges, FPA, surcharges and taxes. Rates are revised by NEPRA and the federal government; compare them with your latest bill.
195 units vs 205 units
- At 195 units (protected): the first 100 units at Rs10.54 = Rs1,054, the next 95 at Rs13.01 = Rs1,235.95. Energy charge: Rs2,289.95.
- At 205 units: the house is now non-protected and in the 201–300 band, so all 205 units are billed at Rs33.10 = Rs6,785.50.
- The gap: Rs6,785.50 − Rs2,289.95 = Rs4,495.55 more for just 10 extra units, and the higher rates follow the house for six months.
Those 10 units are about one evening of a non-inverter AC. If your history sits near 200, the tips below matter most to you.
One caution: in May 2026 the government assured the IMF that it would replace the 200-unit subsidy with a targeted system paid through BISP, with preparations aimed at January 2027. Treat it as a plan until NEPRA or the Power Division publishes the new rule, and check your DISCO's latest notice before planning around this line next year.
Practical ways to cut units
Replace the fans you use most
Efficient fans save about 70 to 90 W each against old ones, according to the government's fan replacement programme launched in February 2026. Four fans × 80 W × 12 hours × 30 days is about 115 units a month.
≈ 115 units / monthRun the AC with a fan, at a higher setting
A fan at 100 W costs a fraction of an AC at 1,500 W. Every hour the compressor is not needed saves around 1.5 units on a non-inverter unit.
≈ 1.5 units per hour avoidedStop the motor overflow
A 1 hp motor left running 15 minutes after the tank fills wastes a quarter of a unit each time. Twice a day for a month is 15 units. A float switch fixes it.
≈ 15 units / monthTime the electric geyser
Cutting a 2,000 W geyser from one hour to half an hour a day saves one unit daily, or 30 units across a winter month.
≈ 30 units / monthIf summer bills still sit far above 300 units after these changes, a solar system is worth pricing. Our article on sizing a solar system for a Pakistani home starts from the same monthly units you worked out above.
Does a UPS add to the bill?
Yes. A UPS with lead-acid batteries recharges after every load-shedding cycle, and that energy comes from the grid. Battery University puts the charge efficiency of lead-acid batteries at about 90 percent, and the charger and inverter lose more on top. As a rough, unmeasured assumption, an older UPS may take 20 to 30 percent more units from the grid than it supplies; a plug-in energy meter will show your own figure.
Common mistakes when estimating units
- Reading tonnage as watts. A 1.5 ton AC does not use 1.5 kW by definition; tonnage is cooling capacity. The electrical input comes from the rating plate.
- Counting a fridge as 24 hours at full watts. A 150 W fridge would be 3.6 units a day if it never stopped. Because it cycles, the real figure is usually much lower.
- Trusting the "30 watt" fan label at full speed. That number usually describes a medium setting. At top speed many DC fans draw 40 to 50 W.
- Forgetting the UPS. Battery recharging after load-shedding is real consumption and can add noticeably to monthly units.
- Planning for the average month. The protected rule looks at every single month, so one hot June can cost you the next six bills.
Frequently asked questions
How many units does a 1.5 ton AC use in one hour?
A non-inverter 1.5 ton AC uses roughly 1.6 to 2 units in an hour when the compressor runs without stopping. An inverter model uses a similar amount while cooling a hot room down, then often around 0.5 to 0.9 units per hour once it is holding the temperature.
How many units does a refrigerator use per day?
Most household fridges use roughly 1 to 2.5 units a day. Newer inverter models sit at the lower end; older, larger or poorly sealed ones at the higher end. Older Indian label data for a 250-litre fridge ranged from about 400 to 1,100 kWh a year between the best and worst ratings.
How many units does a ceiling fan use in a month?
A conventional 100 W fan running 12 hours a day uses 36 units in 30 days. A 35 W DC fan on the same hours uses about 12.6 units.
How many units does a 1 hp water motor use?
A 1 hp motor draws roughly 900 to 1,100 W, so it uses close to one unit for every hour it runs. Running it 45 minutes a day comes to about 22.5 units a month.
Does a UPS increase the electricity bill?
Yes. The battery is recharged from the grid after every outage, and charging and conversion lose some energy, so the UPS takes back more units than it delivered. Long daily load-shedding means a bigger effect.
How can I keep my bill under 200 units in summer?
Use the calculator above and attack the biggest lines first: AC hours, an inverter AC, DC fans and motor overflow. If an AC is unavoidable, solar may be the only way to keep grid units under 200.
Sources
- US DOE: estimating appliance energy use
- Haier 1.5 ton inverter AC specification
- The News: fan swap programme, Feb 2026
- ARY News: inverter fan wattage
- Energy-efficient refrigerator guide (BEE data)
- Battery University: battery efficiency
- Geo News: revised domestic tariff, Feb 2026
- Pakistan Observer: 2026 slab rates
- Dunya News: 200-unit subsidy plan, May 2026