How much it costs to run an electric fan, according to an expert

With temperatures exceeding 25°C across many areas of the UK in the last week, it’s perhaps no surprise that Google searches for recommendation on ‘fans’ are also up 109% in the last week (to over 810k searches).

But while getting a fan set up can be a tempting option, especially in your bedroom to help you stay cool and sleep better at night, it’s not easy to work out how much they will actually cost you to run.

Searches for info on ‘the cost to run a fan’ are up a massive 1,049% in the last week (to 1k searches) too, suggesting many are unsure of this, and are looking for guidance.

Households could be left with an unexpectedly high bill if they run several powerful fans for long periods of time on a high setting, according to Stephen Hankinson, energy efficiency expert at Electric Radiators Direct.

How much does it cost to run a fan?

Stephen said: “The good news is that fans have become more energy efficient in recent years. For a typical oscillating fan, it will use around 45 Watts (0.045 kWh) of energy per hour on a medium setting.

“That means it would currently cost around 1p per hour of usage.

“If you are planning to have a fan on throughout the night (8 hours) this will cost a user around 8p per day.

“So, if the weather maintains, using your fan for 8 hours a day for a month this summer will set you back around £2.45.

“Where the costs can really add up is if you have multiple fans in use at the same time across your house, you buy a more powerful fan that uses up more energy, or you run it consistently on a really high setting.”

How can you bring the cost down of a fan to help save energy and money?

“Having a fan on when you are not in the room is pointless. It may feel like they ‘cool’ a space, but most fans can’t actually change a room’s temperature and only make the room feel colder, by moving the air around. It’s the breeze they create that brings some relief in hot weather.

“If you only use your fan when you are in the room then this will reduce running costs. The rest of your house won’t be worse off (warmer) for doing this either.

“When using the oscillating function of a fan, keep in mind that it will use slightly more energy too, so if you are in one spot for a while and want the fan directly aimed at you then it may be worth switching the oscillating function off to reduce energy usage.

“In general, it’s definitely worth only keeping these devices switched on when you need them, using a low power setting if you can, and also looking at the Wattage of the fan you have bought so you’re not faced with a nasty shock when your energy bills arrives.”