In Indonesia, air conditioners are sold in PK — not BTU, not kilowatts. The sizing rule of thumb used on the ground: 0–10 m² = ½ PK (≈ 5,000 BTU/h), 11–13 m² = ¾ PK (≈ 7,000), 14–17 m² = 1 PK (≈ 9,000), 18–23 m² = 1.5 PK (≈ 12,000), 24–34 m² = 2 PK (≈ 18,000), 35–45 m² = 2.5 PK (≈ 24,000). In Bali, read those numbers with a surcharge: Daikin Indonesia works on 600 to 700 BTU/h per m² in a tropical climate against 500 BTU/h per m² as the general Indonesian rule, and local installer Air Conditioning Bali puts a 20 m² villa bedroom at 9,000–12,000 BTU, meaning 1 PK or 1.5 PK — higher than the European chart, which it blames on ambient temperatures of 30°C and above all year and humidity over 80%. A 1 PK unit running eight hours a day draws 90 to 150 kWh a month if it is inverter-driven, roughly 160,000 to 270,000 IDR a month at the PLN residential rate of 1,699.53 IDR/kWh in force on 8 September 2026, public street-lighting tax included.
PK, BTU, watts: what does the label actually measure?
PK comes from the Dutch paardenkracht, horsepower: one metric PK equals 735.5 W of mechanical power. On an air conditioner, that number says nothing about electricity draw — the Indonesian market uses it as a cooling-capacity label, and that is what is printed on the box in the shop.
Here is the correspondence used by Indonesian manufacturers and retailers:
| Capacity | Cooling output | Typical draw (standard) | Typical draw (inverter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ PK | ≈ 5,000 BTU/h | 350–500 W | 200–450 W |
| ¾ PK | ≈ 7,000 BTU/h | — | — |
| 1 PK | ≈ 9,000 BTU/h | 700–1,000 W | 300–750 W |
| 1.5 PK | ≈ 12,000 BTU/h | 1,050–1,200 W | — |
| 2 PK | ≈ 18,000 BTU/h | 1,400–1,600 W | — |
| 2.5 PK | ≈ 24,000 BTU/h | 1,750–2,000 W | — |
Capacities: AQUA Elektronik (October 2023) and Selka.id (2 September 2024). Power draw: AQUA Elektronik, Midea Indonesia (12 March 2025), Daikin Indonesia (15 January 2026). Dashes mean no sourced range was found.
Two traps here. First, cooling output and electricity consumed are not the same order of magnitude: a 1 PK unit produces about 2,640 W of cooling (9,000 BTU/h × 0.2931 W, NIST table) while pulling 700 to 1,000 W at the meter.
Second, this table is not universal. The Mr Fixit Bali calculator, a technical site devoted to building and maintenance in Bali, updated in September 2024, runs a different scale built on a coefficient of performance of 4: 1 PK = 9,600 BTU, 1.5 PK = 14,400 BTU, 2 PK = 19,200 BTU — a 20% gap on the 1.5 PK. Buy on the BTU figure the manufacturer prints, not on a mental conversion from PK.
How many PK for each room?
The Indonesian starting point is one multiplication: 500 BTU/h per square metre, a figure repeated by Kompas Properti (24 August 2025) and by local distributors alike. A 3 × 4 m bedroom therefore calls for 6,000 BTU/h, a ¾ PK. Daikin Indonesia (21 January 2026) raises the benchmark to 600–700 BTU/h per m² in a tropical climate and sets out its corrections: ceiling going from 3 to 3.5 m, +16.7 to 25%; electronics left running for hours, +10 to 20%; +600 BTU per person regularly in the room; west-facing wall or large glazing, +10 to 25%.
| Floor area | Usual capacity | BTU/h | At 600–700 BTU/m² (tropical) | What it means in Bali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 m² | ½ PK | ≈ 5,000 | 6,000–7,000 | ½ PK holds if the room is closed and shaded; ¾ PK as soon as it is exposed |
| 11–13 m² | ¾ PK | ≈ 7,000 | 6,600–9,100 | ¾ PK is fine, 1 PK if the facade faces west |
| 14–17 m² | 1 PK | ≈ 9,000 | 8,400–11,900 | 1 PK minimum, 1.5 PK with a high ceiling |
| 18–23 m² | 1.5 PK | ≈ 12,000 | 10,800–16,100 | 1.5 PK: this is the standard villa bedroom |
| 24–34 m² | 2 PK | ≈ 18,000 | 14,400–23,800 | 2 PK, or two separate units |
| 35–45 m² | 2.5 PK | ≈ 24,000 | 21,000–31,500 | 2.5 PK, often not enough in an open living space |
Columns 1 to 3: Selka.id (2 September 2024), bounds cross-checked against the Daikin Indonesia BTU calculator. Column 4: calculated from the Daikin tropical benchmark. Column 5: our own reading.
Daikin Indonesia's calculator states its own limits, incidentally: it assumes a room with at most one glazed wall, not west-facing, a ceiling around 3 m and one or two occupants. Plenty of Balinese homes fall outside that box on the first viewing.
Another formula, published by manufacturer AQUA Elektronik, prices in what the charts leave out: (length × height × width × l × E) ÷ 60, in feet, where l is 10 if the room is insulated and 18 if it is not (+80%) and E is 16 facing north, 17 east, 18 south and 20 west (+25%). Those two factors describe the ordinary Balinese build almost exactly.
Why European sizing charts undershoot in Bali
Three reasons stack up, and none of them is marginal.
Humidity first. Annual averages from BMKG stations, published by the public agency BRIDA Buleleng (2018 data), give 79% relative humidity at the Ngurah Rai weather station, 79% at Sanglah, 80% at Karangasem and 85% at the Negara climatology station, at average temperatures of 26.3 to 27.7°C. Service companies report higher peaks: BaliCool talks about 75 to 90% all year, Air Conditioning Bali about "80% and above". Cooling humid air costs more: part of the capacity goes into condensing water rather than moving the thermometer.
The buildings next. Wide sliding doors, open alang-alang roofs, uninsulated walls, ceilings of 3.5 m or more, rooms that open onto the outdoors: the thermal load has nothing in common with a double-glazed European flat. The insulation factor in the AQUA formula — 10 against 18 — puts a number on that gap.
Constant heat last. No cool night resets the counter. Air Conditioning Bali sums it up: Balinese sizing runs more generous than European sizing because of ambient temperatures of 30°C and above all year, and "undersized units run 24/7 without ever reaching the set point". On top of that comes wear that temperate climates never see: according to BaliCool, parts degrade two to three times faster, and outdoor units in coastal areas — Seminyak, Canggu, Uluwatu — take salt corrosion.
Too small or too big: both mistakes cost you
Undersizing is the intuitive mistake: the unit never cuts out, never reaches the requested temperature and pushes the bill up without making the room comfortable.
Oversizing is the counter-intuitive one, and it does more damage in a climate at 80% humidity. The US Department of Energy puts it plainly: oversizing raises the purchase price, raises energy use and degrades dehumidification because of rapid on-off cycling ("poor humidity removal due to excessive on-off cycling").
The mechanism is simple. An air conditioner only dries the air while it is running: water vapour condenses on the cold coil and drains out through the condensate pipe. An overpowered machine drops the temperature within minutes, shuts off, and the water that had no time to drain evaporates back into the room. You end up cold and clammy. Daikin Indonesia puts short-cycling operation at 20 to 50% extra consumption, with humidity that stays high. In Bali, the mistake is therefore paid twice: on the bill, and in mould — on walls, inside wardrobes and inside the unit itself.
What each PK costs on your PLN meter
The PLN residential tariff as of 1 July 2026, held until 30 September 2026, is 1,352 IDR/kWh on unsubsidised 900 VA, 1,444.70 IDR/kWh on 1,300 and 2,200 VA, and 1,699.53 IDR/kWh from 3,500 VA up — the villa bracket. The Ministry of Energy confirmed on 30 June 2026 that rates for the 13 unsubsidised categories were unchanged for the third quarter. Brackets, prepaid tokens and the street-lighting tax are covered in detail in our guide to electricity rates in Bali in 2026.
Here is what each capacity comes to at eight hours of use a day, on the 3,500 VA and above bracket, with roughly 5% street-lighting tax:
| Capacity | Power draw | kWh / month (8 h/day) | Estimated monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ PK | 350–500 W | 84–120 kWh | 150,000 – 214,000 IDR |
| 1 PK | 700–1,000 W | 168–240 kWh | 300,000 – 428,000 IDR |
| 1.5 PK | 1,050–1,200 W | 252–288 kWh | 450,000 – 514,000 IDR |
| 2 PK | 1,400–1,600 W | 336–384 kWh | 600,000 – 685,000 IDR |
Power draw (standard units): Daikin Indonesia (15 January 2026) for the ½ PK, Midea Indonesia (12 March 2025) for the 1 PK, AQUA Elektronik for the 1.5 and 2 PK. Columns 3 and 4: our own calculation, W × 8 h × 30 days ÷ 1,000, then × 1,699.53 IDR × 1.05. Tariff as of 8 September 2026.
Two orders of magnitude worth keeping, both from service company BaliCool: air conditioning accounts for 50 to 70% of a Bali household's electricity bill, and a clogged unit consumes 20 to 30% more. On a 1 PK running eight hours a day, that 20–30% is 60,000 to 128,000 IDR a month: a 125,000 IDR clean pays for itself in one to two months.
One methodological point flagged by Kompas Properti: two 1 PK units consume less than a single 2 PK, 1,680 W against 1,920 W in the example given. Two zones switched independently often beat one big machine.
Inverter or non-inverter: what actually changes
A non-inverter air conditioner knows two states, described by Daikin Indonesia (20 December 2025) as "full power or complete stop". Every temperature rise restarts the compressor at maximum capacity. An inverter ramps compressor speed progressively, then settles at low output once the set point is reached.
The claimed gaps all come from manufacturers or installers: Daikin Indonesia claims at least 30% savings against an on/off system (another page from the same manufacturer talks about 30 to 50% more efficiency); Air Conditioning Bali says a 1 PK inverter at 8 h/day uses 90 to 150 kWh a month and that "a non-inverter unit of the same size uses 30 to 40% more". No independent study was found to settle it: these figures come from people who sell equipment and assume extended use.
Converted into rupiah at 1,699.53 IDR/kWh: 120 kWh against 162 kWh a month, roughly 214,000 IDR against 289,000 IDR. The gap, around 75,000 IDR a month per unit, close to 900,000 IDR a year, pays back the 500,000 to 1,000,000 IDR purchase premium on a 1 PK in seven to thirteen months. But Daikin explicitly ties that gain to regular, extended use: for a guest room switched on two hours a week, the maths does not work.
The star label, the only official benchmark in the shop
Since Permen ESDM No. 57 of 2017, Indonesia has imposed a minimum energy performance standard (SKEM) and an energy label on air conditioners, applied to wall splits up to 27,000 BTU/h; the framework in force is ministerial decision No. 103.K/EK.07/DJE/2021. The principle stated by the EBTKE directorate general: more stars, less energy.
The indicator is the CSPF (Cooling Seasonal Performance Factor): cooling delivered divided by electricity consumed across a whole season, not at a single moment. The ministry confirms a regulatory floor of CSPF 3.4. A star-by-star grid circulates, attributed to ministerial decision No. 134.K/EK.07/DJE/2023: 2 stars for 3.40 ≤ CSPF < 3.80, 3 stars for 3.80 ≤ CSPF < 4.20, 4 stars for 4.20 ≤ CSPF < 5.00 and 5 stars above that. That breakdown comes from a commercial source (May 2026), not from the text itself, which we could not read directly — only the 3.4 floor is officially confirmed. According to the same source, 1-star appliances can no longer be produced or sold in Indonesia since October 2024.
The scheme is not cosmetic: for the period 2021 to the first half of 2023, the ministry counts 2.6 TWh saved, 2.4 million tonnes of CO₂ avoided and 3,760 billion rupiah shaved off bills.
900 VA, 1,300 VA: the limit you discover when the breaker trips
Plenty of kost rooms and small Balinese houses are connected at 900 or 1,300 VA. Daikin Indonesia (15 January 2026) is blunt: on a 900 VA supply, 0.5 PK is the safe choice, a 1 PK is possible but risky. The problem is not nominal consumption but the inrush current when the compressor starts, which reaches three to six times rated power for a fraction of a second. That spike is what trips the breaker, especially if a fridge or a pump starts at the same moment. Inverter models start more gently, which limits the issue.
Before signing a lease, ask for the contracted supply in VA: it determines both your per-kWh rate and how much air conditioning the property can carry — a question worth asking alongside the ones listed in our guide to the real yearly rental prices.
What does an AC cost in Bali, new and used?
On distributor Haka Polar's national price list displayed in September 2026, for 1 PK, unit only, installation excluded:
| 1 PK model | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sharp AH-A9BEY | standard | 3,175,000 IDR |
| Panasonic YN09AKJ | standard | 3,950,000 IDR |
| Gree GWC-09N1A | standard | 4,169,000 IDR |
| Daikin FTC25YV | standard | 4,759,000 IDR |
| Gree GWC-09F5s | inverter | 5,109,000 IDR |
| Daikin FTKQ25UVM4 Flash | inverter | 5,339,000 IDR |
| Daikin FTKH25YV Alpha | inverter | 6,749,000 IDR |
In Bali, the list published by a Denpasar retailer and checked on 8 September 2026 gives both unit-only and installed prices:
| Brand and capacity | Unit only | Installed |
|---|---|---|
| Gree standard 0.5 PK | 2,700,000 IDR | 3,300,000 IDR |
| Gree standard 1 PK | 3,000,000 IDR | 3,600,000 IDR |
| Daikin 0.5 PK (Thailand) | 3,250,000 IDR | 3,850,000 IDR |
| Daikin 1.5 PK (Thailand) | 4,300,000 IDR | 5,100,000 IDR |
| Gree standard 2 PK | 5,300,000 IDR | 6,200,000 IDR |
| Daikin 2 PK (Thailand) | 5,900,000 IDR | 6,900,000 IDR |
Price list from Toko AC Bali, Denpasar, checked on 8 September 2026. The page carries no update date and states "prices subject to change at any time". The installed price covers 3 m of standard pipe run.
So the gap between unit-only and installed sits around 600,000 to 1,000,000 IDR. Beyond 3 m of pipe run, each extra metre is billed. The only per-metre price list we could find in Denpasar dates from 2 August 2019 and has not been revised since: 90,000 IDR/m for a 1 PK and 120,000 IDR/m for a 2 PK on R32, plus 20,000 IDR/m of cabling. Treat that as a floor, not a 2026 rate — get the exact length quoted before installation.
Secondhand is a genuine market in Bali. Listings recorded on 8 September 2026 on OLX Bali ran from 1,500,000 to 2,600,000 IDR: a Panasonic 1 PK at 1,500,000 IDR in Denpasar Selatan, "as new" units with no stated capacity at 1,856,000 and 2,350,000 IDR in Denpasar Barat, a Daikin ¾ PK at 2,300,000 IDR, a Daikin 1.5 PK at 2,600,000 IDR in Ungasan. These amounts come from the listing index — the OLX pages themselves could not be opened on our three attempts that day. Treat them as a dated order of magnitude.
One Denpasar dealer specialising in secondhand offers 0.5 to 2 PK units in Daikin, Panasonic and Sharp, installation included, with a cooling guarantee of at least one month — its page shows neither prices nor dates. That short guarantee is the real issue: it covers enough time to spot a refrigerant leak, not the life expectancy of a compressor. The usual precautions apply as with any private sale — see our safe meetup checklist.
Servicing: the line nobody budgets for
Rates recorded on 8 September 2026 from a Bali service company whose page is undated, and which recommends a visit every 3 to 6 months — three months near the beach or a building site, five to six on quiet inland streets:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Indoor unit clean only | from 85,000 IDR |
| Standard clean 0.5–1 PK / 1.5–2 PK | 125,000 / 150,000 IDR |
| Inverter clean 0.5–1 PK / 1.5–2 PK | 145,000 / 175,000 IDR |
| Deep chemical clean | 250,000 – 300,000 IDR |
| Full overhaul | 400,000 IDR |
| Contract for 5 to 9 units | 120,000 IDR per unit, 960,000 IDR per visit |
Another company, whose list dates from May–June 2026, is stricter: every 4 to 8 weeks above six hours of daily use, monthly by the sea or in jungle areas, down to quarterly in quiet residential zones. There, a refrigerant recharge runs 350,000 to 600,000 IDR, a fan motor 300,000 to 700,000, an annual contract starts at 800,000 IDR per unit — and a compressor replacement costs 2 to 5 million IDR, the price of a new entry-level unit. The two disagree on frequency but agree on one thing: by the sea, the interval is measured in weeks.
One certified Bali installer says it covers Gree, Daikin, Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric, LG and Samsung. That is not the whole island's list, but it gives you the pack of brands genuinely serviced locally: stepping outside it can make parts harder to find.
What to check before buying a used AC
On the listing and at the meetup:
- The actual capacity, read off the plate on the outdoor unit — not the remote, not the listing.
- Inverter or not, marked on the unit itself.
- The star rating and CSPF, where the label is still legible: per the commercial source cited above, a 1-star appliance can no longer be sold new since October 2024.
- The condition of the condenser fins. By the sea, salt corrosion is the number one reason units are scrapped.
- The refrigerant, R32 or R22: the pipe-run rates published in Denpasar are quoted for R32.
- The cooling guarantee and its length, whether installation is included, and over how many metres of pipe run.
The same checks apply to the rest of your equipment, with price benchmarks in our guide to furnishing a Bali villa secondhand.
Frequently asked questions
How many PK do you need for a 20 m² bedroom in Bali?
Between 1 and 1.5 PK. The Indonesian chart places 18 to 23 m² at 1.5 PK; installer Air Conditioning Bali puts a 20 m² villa bedroom at 9,000–12,000 BTU. Take 1.5 PK if the room has a west-facing wall, a ceiling over 3 m, a large glazed door or an uninsulated roof; 1 PK is enough for a closed, shaded bedroom.
How many BTU and how many watts is 1 PK?
About 9,000 BTU/h of cooling capacity by the convention of the Indonesian market, which is roughly 2,640 W of cooling output. On the consumption side, expect 700 to 1,000 W at the meter for a standard model and 300 to 750 W for an inverter (ranges from AQUA Elektronik, Midea Indonesia and Daikin Indonesia). The PK itself is 735.5 W of mechanical power, a legacy figure that describes neither the cooling produced nor the electricity used.
Does an oversized air conditioner really raise your bill?
Yes, and it makes the room less comfortable on top of that. The US Department of Energy writes that an oversized air conditioner raises the purchase price, raises consumption and dehumidifies poorly because of rapid on-off cycling. Daikin Indonesia puts the extra cost at 20 to 50%. A room that feels cold and clammy is the classic symptom.
How much does an air conditioner add to a PLN bill in Bali each month?
At 1,699.53 IDR/kWh (the rate on 8 September 2026 for supplies of 3,500 VA and above), with roughly 5% street-lighting tax and eight hours of use a day: around 150,000 to 214,000 IDR a month for a ½ PK, 300,000 to 428,000 IDR for a standard 1 PK, 450,000 to 514,000 IDR for a 1.5 PK and 600,000 to 685,000 IDR for a 2 PK. Calculated from manufacturer AQUA's consumption ranges; the rate drops to 1,444.70 IDR/kWh on 1,300 and 2,200 VA.
Is an inverter worth the extra cost in Bali?
If the unit runs for hours at a stretch, the sellers' figures point that way: Daikin claims at least 30% savings against an on/off system, Air Conditioning Bali says a non-inverter uses 30 to 40% more. On a 1 PK at 8 h/day, that gap is around 75,000 IDR a month per unit, against a purchase premium of 500,000 to 1,000,000 IDR in September 2026. For a room cooled a few hours a week, the maths does not hold.
Can you run an air conditioner on a 900 VA supply?
A 0.5 PK is the safe choice according to Daikin Indonesia; a 1 PK is possible but risky. The problem is not nominal consumption but the inrush current when the compressor starts, which reaches three to six times rated power and trips the breaker, especially if a fridge or a pump starts at the same moment. An inverter model, which starts progressively, reduces that risk.
What budget should you plan for a used air conditioner in Bali?
Listings recorded on OLX Bali on 8 September 2026 ran from 1,500,000 to 2,600,000 IDR for units of ¾ to 1.5 PK, against 3,000,000 IDR (Gree 1 PK) to 4,300,000 IDR (Daikin 1.5 PK) new, installation excluded, at a Denpasar retailer on the same day. Add installation if it is not included, and check the cooling guarantee: one month is the common length. Since a compressor costs 2 to 5 million IDR to replace, a poorly checked bargain ends up dearer than a new unit.
Sources
Official sources
- Kementerian ESDM — Q3 2026 electricity tariffs unchanged — Indonesian Ministry of Energy, statement of 30 June 2026. Official.
- Kementerian ESDM — SKEM and energy labelling for air conditioners — Permen ESDM 57/2017, splits up to 27,000 BTU/h. Official.
- Kementerian ESDM — Updating SKEM values — CSPF floor of 3.4 and 2021–H1 2023 results (2.6 TWh, 2.4 Mt CO₂). Article of 14 November 2023. Official.
- EBTKE Directorate General — SKEM and the Tanda Hemat Energi label — Kepmen ESDM 103.K/EK.07/DJE/2021 framework. Official.
- US Department of Energy (FEMP) — Purchasing Energy-Efficient Room Air Conditioners — effects of oversizing. Official.
- BRIDA Buleleng — Meteorological averages by station in Bali — BMKG Wilayah III Denpasar data, 2018 vintage. Institutional.
Manufacturers
- Daikin Indonesia — Calculating PK capacity for your home — 600–700 BTU/m² in the tropics, correction factors, oversizing. Page dated 21 January 2026. Manufacturer.
- Daikin Indonesia — Inverter or non-inverter — how each works and the claimed savings. Page dated 20 December 2025. Manufacturer.
- Daikin Indonesia — Can you run an AC on 900 VA? — inrush current at three to six times rated power. Page dated 15 January 2026. Manufacturer.
- AQUA Elektronik — Calculating your AC capacity — PK/BTU table and formula with insulation and orientation factors. Page from October 2023. Manufacturer.
- AQUA Elektronik — How many watts does an AC use — power draw by capacity. Manufacturer.
- Midea Indonesia — How many watts for a 1 PK — page dated 12 March 2025. Manufacturer.
Media and experts
- Kompas Properti — Calculating your AC needs — the 500 BTU/m² rule, two units against one. Article of 24 August 2025. National media.
- Kompas TV — PLN tariffs as of 1 July 2026 — rates by golongan. Article of 1 July 2026. National media.
- Mr Fixit Bali — Air conditioner capacity calculator — alternative PK/BTU table based on a COP of 4. Site updated 6 September 2024. Local expert.
Commercial sources (prices and field practice)
- Air Conditioning Bali — Bali sizing, 1 PK inverter consumption, brands serviced. Commercial, no date shown.
- BaliCool — Complete AC service guide for Bali — humidity, share of the bill, service rates. Published May 2026, updated June 2026. Commercial.
- Mr Cooler — AC cleaning in Bali — servicing price list. Commercial, article undated.
- Haka Polar — 1 PK air conditioner prices — national list displayed as "September 2026". Commercial.
- Toko AC Bali — Price list — unit-only and installed prices in Denpasar, checked 8 September 2026. Commercial, no update date.
- Selka.id — PK capacity by floor area — area/PK table. Page dated 2 September 2024. Commercial.
- AC Denpasar — used air conditioners, installed — capacities offered and a cooling guarantee of at least one month. Commercial, no prices or dates shown.
- Service AC Denpasar Bali — service price list — per-metre prices for R32 pipe run and cabling. Commercial, page dated 2 August 2019: labour rates are obsolete, only the per-metre prices are used here and flagged as dated.
- OLX Bali — Used air conditioners — price range recorded 8 September 2026. Classifieds.
PLN tariffs for Q4 2026 had not been published at the time of writing. Equipment and service prices move fast in Bali: every amount in this article is dated, so check it before you decide.
