How Much Electricity Does A Ceiling Fan Use? (Find Out Now!)

Upgraded Home Team
by Upgraded Home Team

A ceiling fan is an excellent addition to any home that will cool down rooms and create better air circulation. If you’ve been thinking about getting a ceiling fan, maybe you are worried about how much electricity it will use. Fortunately, ceiling fans actually use relatively little electricity.

The amount of electricity your ceiling fan uses will usually depend on its size. A fan that is between 36 inches and 56 inches will use between 55 and 100 watts. The most common ceiling fan size is 48 inches. This will use 75 watts.

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Does Running a Ceiling Fan Use a Lot of Electricity?

No, it doesn’t. In fact, a ceiling fan uses a surprisingly low amount of electricity. As most models of ceiling fans run at between 50 and 80 watts, they will often only cost you between approximately $0.006 and $0.01 per hour at a rate of $0.12 per kWh.

How much a ceiling fan will cost you in electricity depends on factors. These include efficiency, fan speed, the length of time you use it, and whether there are lights on it that you use. One reason why ceiling fans are so popular is the fact that they are energy-efficient and cost-effective.

So, How Much Electricity Do Ceilings Fans Use?

In order to determine how much electricity your fan uses, you first need to know the wattage of your ceiling fan. Ceiling fan wattage typically ranges from 10 to 120 watts per hour. Then, you must calculate the number of hours you use your fan on average per day.

To yield the cost per hour to operate your ceiling fan, you simply multiple the number of watts used by the price per kWh electricity that your electric company charges you. For instance, if you have a 60-watt ceiling fan and your electric company charges you approximately $0.12 per kilowatt hour, this is how you’ll figure out your ceiling fans electricity usage:

How Much Electricity a Ceiling Fan Uses Per Hour

To find out the cost to operate a ceiling fan for one hour, you’ll multiply the fan’s wattage by what your electric company charges you and then convert into kilowatts. Using the numbers above, the calculations will go as follows:

60 watts x $0.12 = 7.2

Though, we want to find kilowatts so keep in mind that one kilowatt is equal to 1000 watts. So, divide 7.2 by 1000.

7.2 / 1000 = 0.007

In other words, your ceiling fan will cost you $0.007 per hour of electricity usage.

How Much Electricity a Ceiling Fan Uses Per Day

For this calculation, you must determine how many hours a day you run your ceiling fan. So, if you average about six hours a day, a day’s electricity consumption by your ceiling fan will be:

60 watts x 6 hours = 360-watt hours

Then, to find out how much this costs, multiply the cost per hour that you just found above by the average number of hours you run the fan. With the same numbers we’ve been using, the calculation is:

$0.007 x 6 hours = $0.042

This means that your ceiling fan will cost you $0.042 to run each day.

How Much Electricity a Ceiling Fan Uses Per Month

If your particular ceiling fan consumes 360 watt hours on average per day (as we found above), the calculation for a month is as follows:

360 watt hours x 30 days = 10,800

Though, again, we’re calculating in kilowatts. So, we need to convert back to kilowatts by dividing 10,800 by 1,000.

10,800 / 1,000 = 10.8 kilowatt hours

Since 1 kilowatt hour is equal to 1 unit, your ceiling fan’s total energy consumption per month is also 10.8 units. If you want to find out how much this will cost you, simply multiply the total monthly energy consumption by the amount your electrical company charges you per kilowatt. This calculation will go something like this:

10.8 x $0.12 = $1.3

In other words, your ceiling fan will cost you approximately $1.2 per month. Not bad!

Are Ceiling Fans Expensive to Run?

No, ceiling fans aren’t expensive to run. They are much cheaper to run than air conditioners. On average, the cost of running a ceiling fan is just approximately one cent per hour. However, ceiling fans and air conditioners do different things.

While a ceiling fan can make a fan feel cooler, an air conditioner actually brings down the temperature. That is because air conditioners are able to take the humidity out of the air. Ceiling fans cannot do that.

Tips on Saving Electricity When Operating a Ceiling Fan

While running a ceiling fan already doesn’t use up much electricity, here are some practical tips that can save you a couple extra dollars:

  • Turn off the fan when you leave the room. Although they don’t use up a ton of electricity, why waste electricity and money when you can save them? If you’re not enjoying the fan, always remember to turn it off as you leave a room.
  • Pay attention to the fan direction. This is a major factor when it comes to saving electricity, as efficiency can decrease if the fan is rotating in the improper direction. In the summer, you want the direction of your fan to be counterclockwise so the air moves downwards. Whereas, in the winter, you want it to rotate clockwise so the air gets pulled in from under the ceiling fan. These directions may vary depending on the ceiling fan you have.
  • Avoid ceiling fans with lights. Although ceiling fans with light fixtures can be convenient and attractive, they are less energy-efficient than those without. However, if you absolutely cannot go without a fan with a light fixture, opt for LED bulbs instead of traditional incandescent.

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How Much Electricity Does a Box Fan Use?

To find out how much electricity your box fan uses, you need to look at its wattage. The wattage is a measure of the fan’s energy consumption.

Check the box and manual the box fan came in to find out its wattage. The wattage could also be listed on the fan itself. Box fans usually run on a wattage somewhere between 50 and 100 watts. In some cases, however, it might be as high as 200 watts. This is why you will need to look at the box and manual to find out the exact wattage.

How much wattage a box fan uses will depend on factors such as the blades, motor, and fan size. It can also depend on the speed you run the fan on. Larger fans generally run on higher wattage than smaller models.

In some cases, you might not find the wattage listed. If this is the case, you can still look at the amperes and volts the fan uses. This information will help you calculate the wattage. Even easier than this, you can also look at the manufacturer’s website and look up the specific fan model.

How Much Electricity Does a Pedestal Fan Use?

If you use a residential pedestal fan, you will find it only costs on average one or two cents per hour to run. This will only come to about $14.60 to $29.20 annually with average use. Be aware, though, that there is quite a lot of variation between different models of pedestal fans. These variations can impact cost.

If you have an average residential pedestal fan, its maximum output or wattage will probably be between 45 W to 75 watts. A larger commercial pedestal fan, however, may have an output as high as 300 watts. The speed settings that you use on your fan will also impact how much energy is used.

Upgraded Home Team
Upgraded Home Team

We are a team of passionate homeowners, home improvement pros, and DIY enthusiasts who enjoy sharing home improvement, housekeeping, decorating, and more with other homeowners! Whether you're looking for a step-by-step guide on fixing an appliance or the cost of installing a fence, we've here to help.

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