Korean Job Discussion Forums

[swoodman]

This a question that you might not be able to answer - but how much does the A/C cost per hour for a very small apartment? Im poor so trying to calculate whether I can afford it or if I should just stick to a fan.

[swoodman]

Or should I get a second fan and leave the AC off?

[kuno808]

i guess you could go this route for a cheaper alternative:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjY-8FN1myU

[jonpurdy]

My total electricity bill in the summer for my 14 pyeong officetel is about 30,000 month. This includes the aircon being run all night and during about three days a week (so the place is cool when I get back). Though I've been told that this is ridiculously low for a place my size and age.

[Alphabet_Stew]

I have tried enduring a Korean summer with just a fan, but its torture. Even with the fan whirling around and gushing air towards you - its still hot, humid air). Go have a cold shower and after getting out of the shower, you immediately feel hot again. To sleep you need the fan almost right in front of you, which is not a good sleep as the fan is constantly pumping hot air onto your body.

Aircons are great within an hour of turning on, you can have your apartment completely chilled down to 21degrees celcius which makes for an excellent sleep.

Aircons for a small apartment (8 pyeong) can be bought brand new as cheap as 450,000won. (You could buy a second hand one, but there is no guarantee how long it will last without breaking and how filthy it is inside).

They will come and fit it inside your apartment for free but put a hole through your wall to fit the outside contraption.

Now, the electricity cost. Fans not too much.

Keep the aircon on all day (or all night) and your electricity bill will go up by 100,000won for the month.

You can turn it on for an hour, then turn it right down to low setting, this will save just a little money in electricity.

Its all up to you, summer only lasts 3 months in Korea (June, July and August) so the aircon will only be used for the 3 months a year, so its good if you are planning on staying longer than a year in the same apartment. Of course for those 3-months of the year when you are running the aircon will cost you an extra 100,000won a month in electricity.

How much can you bear, those humid, sweaty nights. Is being cool and sleeping sound worth 100,000won a month for you? Only you can answer that question.

As for me, I happily pay the extra 100,000won a month, because I guess I love spending my summers in a very cool apartment and sleeping well.

[Quack Addict]

[kuno808]

[caribmon]

2500 peak watt aircon x 10 cents kw/h = 25 cents per hour max

insert accurate data into above calculation

results may vary

[Senior]

The one at my old place, running almost constantly, bumped the power bill up by at least 100K.

I would happily pay double that.

[Lolimahro]

Because I have a young son who also happens to have eczema, the ac at our place is going almost 24/7. We set it low, too. Our bill for June~July was up maybe 30~40,000 from May~June, when we didn't use the air conditioner at all.

We live in a oneroom officetel in Seoul, Mok-dong. I've been told residents of Mok-dong get a deal on electricity because we have some kind of power plant in the neighborhood.

On the flip side, gas for heating last winter was torture.

[SeoulNate]

I pay an extra 40k running it 5 or so hours a day.

[Milwaukiedave]

Our bill was 23,000 for June. I'm guessing July will be pretty high as I've been home a lot.

[dumpring]

My power bill never seems to be above 15k (touch wood) and the last couple of months my air con is running whenever i'm home. Cheap as mate.

[cj1976]

The lengths that some tightwads will go to save a few pennies is amazing. I would happily pay the extra 50k per month to be comfortable, rather than wake up a in a pool of sweat.
There are ways to use aircon economically. Set it to the lowest power, and use the timer function. I usually find 4 hours enough when I'm sleeping or it gets too chilly to sleep.

[PigeonFart]

You North Americans who leave your AirCon on all day when you're at work are a disgrace. What would David Suzuki say about all that!