The most common ceiling fan sizes use 55 to 100 watts of power and consume .06 to .010 kWh. That translates to just a few pennies per hour for the most popular fan sizes.
Full details with a power consumption chart and handy Ceiling Fan Electricity Usage tables are included.
Cooling your home by using ceiling fans instead of air conditioning is one of the most cost-effective ways to keep your home comfortable on warm days and nights.
Using ceiling fans is also a great way to circulate the air in your home.
This article will give you a good idea on how much running your ceiling fan will cost over time, depending on how big your ceiling fan is and how many hours you decide to run it. Read on and examine the added tables and examples to find out all you need to know about the amount of electricity your ceiling fan actually uses.
Ceiling Fan Electricity Usage and Running Cost Calculator
This Pick HVAC Calculator makes it easy to figure out how much electricity your ceiling fan – or one you’re considering – uses.
Ceiling Fan Electricity Usage Calculator
The calculator above is useful to find out the average electricity used per hour and how much it will cost to run the specific ceiling fan for an hour. This calculator has four areas that you need to fill out in order to find the cost and the amount of electricity used by running your ceiling fan.
Step 1: The first place that needs to be filled in is the size of the fan by using the diameter of the entire fan.
Step 2: Under that section is the state that you are researching to find the cost. You can also choose to use the United States average. Each state is different, in terms of electricity costs.
Step 3: The next column starts with the amount of power that the ceiling fan uses in watts.
Step 4: Directly under that section is the price per kWh by the state or the US average. This is automatically filled in by the calculator when you fill in the size of the fan, the state that you are researching, and the power in kilowatt hours.
Tip:
In the Calculator, power is calculated by ceiling fan size.
If you don’t know the power of your ceiling fan, you can use the default value.
How Many Watts Does a Ceiling Fan Use
The table below shows the wattage needed for each size of fan listed. As you can easily see, the larger the fan, the more watts are required to power the fan.
| Ceiling Fan Size (in diameter) | Watts |
|---|---|
| 24 inch | 41 watts |
| 30 inch | 48 watts |
| 36 inch | 55 watts |
| 42 inch | 65 watts |
| 48 inch | 75 watts |
| 52 inch | 87 watts |
| 56 inch | 100 watts |
| 60 inch | 120 watts |
| 72 inch | 180 watts |
How Much Electricity Does a Ceiling Fan Use
This table gives you an idea of the power consumption for each size fan per hour and per month. The information here explains how much actual electricity will be used by running a ceiling fan for a specific amount of time.
| Ceiling Fan Size (in diameter) | per hour | per month |
|---|---|---|
| 24 inch | 0.04 kWh | 28.8 kWh |
| 30 inch | 0.05 kWh | 36 kWh |
| 36 inch | 0.06 kWh | 43.2 kWh |
| 42 inch | 0.07 kWh | 50.4 kWh |
| 48 inch | 0.07 kWh | 50.4 kWh |
| 52 inch | 0.09 kWh | 64.8 kWh |
| 56 inch | 0.10 kWh | 72 kWh |
| 60 inch | 0.12 kWh | 86.4 kWh |
| 72 inch | 0.18 kWh | 129.6 kWh |
Examples:
How much electricity does a ceiling fan use per month?
The amount of electricity a ceiling fan uses a month completely depends on the size of the fan. As you can see in the table above, a small, 24 inch fan will use 28.8 kWh if the fan is on continuously. An average 48 inch fan will use 50.4 kWh, and a large 72 inch fan will use 129.6 kWh. The larger the fan, the much more electricity it will use.
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Ceiling Fan
The table below shows the cost to run a ceiling fan per hour, per day, and per week. The “per day” and “per week” sections are figured on running the fan the entire time, 24 hours a day or 24 hours a day/7 days a week for the weekly cost.
| Ceiling Fan Size (in diameter) | Per Hour | Per Day (24 Hours) | Per Week (24/7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 inch | $0.006 | $0.13 | $0.95 |
| 30 inch | $0.007 | $0.16 | $1.11 |
| 36 inch | $0.008 | $0.18 | $1.27 |
| 42 inch | $0.009 | $0.26 | $1.51 |
| 48 inch | $0.01 | $0.25 | $1.74 |
| 52 inch | $0.012 | $0.28 | $2.02 |
| 56 inch | $0.014 | $0.33 | $2.32 |
| 60 inch | $0.017 | $0.40 | $2.79 |
| 72 inch | $0.025 | $0.60 | $4.18 |
Electric rate based on US Average
How much does it cost to run a fan all night?
Very little. If you decide to run your ceiling fan all night, you can expect to pay around 5 to 20 cents for 8 hours depending on the size and energy efficiency of the fan.
How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan 24/7?
Using a 48” diameter fan and at a cost of 1 cent per hour, it would cost about a quarter per day and $1.70 per week to run the fan all day, every day. If you had a large, 72 inch fan, you would pay $0.60 (60 cents) per day to continuously run your ceiling fan and around $4.00 per week and $18.00 per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is running a fan all night expensive?
Not at all. Cost varies based on the size of your fan. A small 24 inch fan will cost around 5 cents for 8 hours of use. Larger fans 10 cents to 20 cents in electricity if they are on all night.
If you like to run the fan all night, choose a low wattage model if you want a lower energy bill.
Do ceiling fans use a lot of electricity?
No, not compared to running central air, a window air conditioner, or a portable air conditioner. Ceiling fans generally use between 15 and 90 watts of electricity. Air conditions that are window mounts use around 1,200 watts and central air conditioning units can use up 5,000 watts.
Is it OK to leave ceiling fans on all the time?
It is recommended that you only run a ceiling fan for around 8 hours at a time, but some people do run a fan all the time. Please note that running a ceiling fan all the time can lead to fan overheating and damage. In extreme overheating, the fan catching fire is possible.
Does leaving a ceiling fan on waste electricity?
Yes, leaving a ceiling fan on does waste electricity. A ceiling fan does not lower the temperature of a home, but it does circulate the air, which allows it to feel cooler. Running a ceiling fan when you are not home is a waste of electricity. Your home won’t be any more comfortable because the fan was on.
Do ceiling fans lights add a lot more power consumption when compared to a ceiling fan without lights?
If you also have lights located on your ceiling fan, you will use more electricity, when compared to just running a ceiling fan without lights. The good news is that the power consumption of having a fan with lights is not much at all. Three 60 watt bulbs on a 120-volt circuit will draw 1.5 amps of electricity.
What uses more electricity ac or ceiling fan?
A ceiling fan typically uses between 15 and 100 watts, depending on the size of the fan and if it is running slow, medium, or fast. In comparison, a central air conditioner will use between 2000 and 5000 watts per hour. A window air conditioner also uses a lot more electricity than a ceiling fan, which is 1200 watts per hour for the window unit.
Does it help lower your electric bill if you run a ceiling fan in a room you go in and out of all day or is it better to keep turning it on and off?