Comfort cost guide
How much does a ceiling fan cost to run all day?
A ceiling fan is usually a small electrical load, but speed, motor design and lighting change the total. Enter fan-only watts unless you also want to include the light kit.
Appliance energy cost
Use the power label on your appliance and the electricity rate shown on your bill.
Formula: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours per day × days × electricity rate. Cycling appliances and variable-speed equipment can use less than their full rated power.
What changes the answer?
Fan speed changes the load
High speed normally draws more power than low speed. Use the speed you actually run most often, or calculate a high and low case to create a monthly range.
Fans cool people, not empty rooms
Air movement improves comfort through evaporation but does not lower the room's air temperature. Turning a fan off when nobody is present usually saves energy without sacrificing comfort.
Separate the light-kit watts
If the fan includes lights, add their wattage when they operate on the same schedule. LED bulbs can make the lighting portion much smaller than older incandescent lamps.
Use this result as a planning range
Stop using a fan that wobbles excessively, has loose mounting hardware or shows damaged wiring, and have the installation inspected.
Review the formulas and public sources in our methodology.
Official references
- Appliances and ElectronicsU.S. Department of Energy
- Electric Meters and kilowatt-hoursU.S. Department of Energy
- How to use the EnergyGuide labelFederal Trade Commission