A common question we get often asked about fans is how much electricity does a fan use? This depends on a fan’s wattage.
Typically, most fans have watts that range from 10 to 120. Watt is the amount of power your fan needs to function.
For example, if your fan comes with watts of 75 it means it will require this amount of energy to function optimally.
And now, you’re thinking what the output is. To get the output of your fan per hour, convert the watts’ figure into kWh by dividing it by 1000. 75/1000 gives you 0.075, which is the amount of electricity your fan consumes in an hour.
Let’s say you turn your fan on for 15 hours daily. The overall output will be 0.075kW x 15 = 1.125kW output.
Once you have this figure, you will need to calculate how much electricity does a fan use by incorporating the units of your utility company.
If your utility company charges you $0.02 per kW your electric fan use bill will be 1.125kW x $0.02 = 0.0225kW output.
How about doing the breakdown to one month and finally a year? Here are the figures you should expect roughly depending on the electricity bill of your utility company.
Cost per Hour
- 75W/1000 = 0.075kW x $0.02
Cost per Day if using for 15 hours’ daily
Cost per month
Cost per Year
- 0.0225kW x 365 = 8.2125kW
Well, you may not be using your fan 15 hours daily for the entire year, but this calculation gives you a rough idea of what you should expect to spend.
Electricity Use According To The Fan Type
As you will notice, not all fan models come with the same amount of watts. They vary depending on the mode of operation and functionality.
Electric ceiling fans with blades consume more electricity compared to the other designs you will find in the market.
However, you should note that the electric consumption for the best outdoor fan is way cheap compared to other utilities such as air conditioners.
A ceiling fan will not cost you more than $0.01/hr. , the maximum wattage of a fan should range between 10w-100w. On average, a fan will consume between 30w and 50w.
If you are into buying ceiling electric fans, consider going for the 36-inch blade fan that uses an estimated 55 watts. The longer the blade inch the higher the watts.
A 48-inch blade ceiling fan uses around 75 watts while a 52-inch ceiling blade fan uses approximately 90 watts. Next time you find yourself in a fan store, be keen to look into these specs.
Note that the cost of electricity on the best outdoor fan also depends on the speed of the fan. A high-speed fan will cost you more because of the high watts it comes with. Generally, they will consume 60w to 100w.
The size of the fan also affects overall electricity consumption.
Larger fans require more electricity to run, while smaller fans require more effort to rotate. Either way, both fans will need to consume more or less the same amount of electricity.
How Much Electricity Does A Fan Use Overnight?
The answer to this question is relative. Here’s what I mean, your fan electric consumption overnight is pegged on the period you use it and the type of fan in question.
More importantly, the bill you get charged by your utility company will make your electricity bill expensive or cheap depending on their rates. You can calculate the cost yourself through this equation:
Cost = Power (kW) x time (hour) x Cost of 1kWh.
Assuming you are using a 70 watts’ fan for 7 hours at night at a cost of $0.01 kWh your expense will turn out to be
Cost = 0.07 x 0.01 = 0.0049kWh.
In 30 days, you will be looking at:
0.0049 x 30 = 0.147 kWh
With these costs in mind, I think you will agree with me when I say you need to find ways in which you reduce your fan electric costs.
Luckily, there are many ways you could cut on consumption. Let’s take a closer look.
How To Reduce Power Consumption On Fans?
#1 Always ensure that your fan is off when you’re out of the room
Most people leave their fans running even when they are not around. This should be avoided since fans are meant to cool you and their effect disappears as soon as they are switched off.
As such, leaving them on when no one is around is a waste of a cool breeze and even worse, electricity.
#2 Avoid Purchasing Ceiling Fans with Light Fixtures if you are after energy efficiency
Ceiling fans with light fixtures consume slightly more electricity than fans that come with none.
Electric fans with lights are attractive, but they are not the preferred approach in terms of energy efficiency.
You want to pick electric fans that will enable you to save as much money as possible.
Despite the consumption, you could still use the light energy bulb that uses LED. LED light bulbs are more energy-efficient as compared to conventional incandescent light bulbs.
#3 Adjust the direction of your fan to anti-clockwise during summer
How much electricity does a fan use in summer? Probably more compared to winter because this is the time you want a cooler environment in your attic or pergola.
But how do you make sure you are efficiently using your electric fan during summer?
Most fans you purchase typically come set to rotate clockwise. A clockwise fan direction blows air up the ceiling and is best used during winter.
Clockwise fan rotation isn’t energy-efficient as well. Set the fan to run anticlockwise by checking a little button below the base of the fan.
If you immediately feel a breeze when standing beneath the fan, you have set it right.
#4 Adjust your home temperature to high during summer
The best outdoor fan does not simply cool air by itself. It basically serves to circulate the cool air in a better way.
By increasing your home temperature, you help to create light air that your ceiling fan can circulate fast enough.
As such, your room gets filled with cool air in a faster time.
#5 Get an energy efficient fan
Instead of buying just any fan, buy a BEE five star rated fan because such fans consume up to 10-15% less electricity compared to fans without a BEE rating even if they have similar rpm and wattage.
Also, you can get a fan with a brushless motor since they also consume less energy.
Does The Motor Size Affect A Fan’s Electricity Cost?
The short answer to this question is YES, but remember that how long you leave your fan on is the major determinant of how much you will be paying by the end month.
If your fan has more wattage than mine, but you use yours occasionally while I use mine throughout the month, I’ll definitely be paying more than you.
Apart from the electric fan’s wattage, the size of its motor could also determine how much electricity it uses.
Different fans come with different motors, meaning the energy consumption will be different.
In some fans, you will notice the motor is labeled as ‘1HP’. A ‘1HP’ motor consumes an equivalent of 746 watts. However, not all fans will come equipped with a 1 HP motor.
How much power a fan can deliver to the motor shaft and finally to the blades highly depends on how it’s loaded.
For instance, a 48-inch electric fan blade will need at least 900 watts of power to rotate at a speed of 400rpm.
In this case, a 746 watts motor will tend to overheat when running the blades. You want to check the type and size of your electric fan next time you go shopping.
Electric fans come with watts that range between 10-120 watts. From our calculations, it’s clear that you will spend more or less depending on the average hours you keep your fan running.
As explained above, knowing how much electricity a fan consumes is now simple.
You just need to convert the watts of your fan into kilowatts by dividing the number by 1000. Then multiply the figure you get by the average number of hours your fan runs in a day. Next, multiply the result by the kWh unit of your local tariff and there you have your electric fan cost.
Final Words
What tariff are you on? Check the back of your electricity bill for this info as this will help you know if you’re on the best deal.
Some tariffs will even give a lower rate for night consumption, which could lead up to a 50% reduction on the daily rate.
Second, if after performing the calculations you realized that you picked the wrong fan for energy efficiency purposes, you’re better off replacing it as soon as possible because you will save more money in the long run.
We have written comprehensive articles on various types of fans and the best for each category.
Third, if you follow our recommendations on how to reduce your fan’s electricity consumption, you will definitely see results in your next month’s electricity bill.
Lastly, we hope that we have comprehensively covered the question of how much electricity does a fan use and that you find this article helpful.
These are some of our preferred tips when it comes to saving and reducing our electricity bills when utilizing fans.
Let us know your thoughts and how you go on by implementing these hacks!
