How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan?
A ceiling fan drawing 75 W uses 0.9 kWh in 12 hours — $0.15 a day at 17¢ per kWh, about $4.65 a month.
How to work it out
- 75 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.075 kW × $0.17/kWh = $0.01 an hour
- 0.075 kW × 12 h = 0.9 kWh × $0.17 = $0.15 a day
- 0.9 kWh × 365 days = 329 kWh a year = $55.84 ($4.65 a month)
Champion’s chart puts ceiling fans at 15–75 running watts; the extension service’s older nameplate list goes up to 175 W, which reflects older motors and fans with light kits. This page uses 75 W, the top of the modern range, so the answer errs high.
Adjust for your project
More options: Days/yr
- Cost per hour
- $0.01
- Cost per month (average)
- $4.65
- Cost per year
- $55.84
- Energy per day
- 0.9 kWh
- Energy per year
- 329 kWh
The same appliance at other hours per day
| Hours used per day | Energy per day | Cost per day | Cost per month (average) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.08 kWh | $0.01 | $0.39 |
| 2 | 0.15 kWh | $0.03 | $0.78 |
| 4 | 0.3 kWh | $0.05 | $1.55 |
| 8 | 0.6 kWh | $0.10 | $3.10 |
| 12 | 0.9 kWh | $0.15 | $4.65 |
| 24 | 1.8 kWh | $0.31 | $9.31 |
What to know about ceiling fan running costs
- Speed changes the watts a lot. On low, many fans draw a fraction of their high-speed figure. A plug-in monitor will not work on a hard-wired fan, but the box or manual usually lists watts by speed.
- Light kits add their own watts. An LED kit adds little; old incandescent bulbs could double the fan’s draw.
- Fans cool people, not rooms. Leaving one running in an empty room spends the energy for nothing.
- Off-grid, fans are cheap comfort. At 75 W, 12 hours is 900 Wh — a fraction of what an air conditioner needs, which is why vans and cabins lean on 12 V fans.
A box fan on a battery instead? How long a power station runs an electric blanket shows how small loads stretch a battery. For the opposite end of the scale, see the cost to run a space heater.
Different size? Use the full Electricity Cost Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Plug-in electricity usage monitorBudget price
Plugs in between the wall and a 120 V appliance and shows real watts and kWh over a day — the honest way to fill in a load list, especially for fridges that cycle on and off.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan all day?
At 75 W for 24 hours, $0.31 a day (1.8 kWh) at 17¢ per kWh.
How much does a 30 W ceiling fan cost to run per month?
About $1.86 a month at 12 hours a day.
Other common sizes
- The cost to run a space heater — $0.26 an hour at 17¢/kWh (1,500 W)
- The cost to run a window AC unit — $0.17 an hour at 17¢/kWh (10,000 BTU)
- The cost to run a dehumidifier — $1.60 a day at 17¢/kWh (12 hours)
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, BSE-301: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use (2020) (opens in a new tab) — Wattage × hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh per day; watts = amps × volts when only amps are listed; a refrigerator runs at full wattage about a third of the time; typical nameplate wattages.
- Champion Power Equipment — Generator Wattage Chart (opens in a new tab) — Typical running and starting watts for household, RV and job-site appliances (a manufacturer’s planning chart — your nameplate wins).