The short answer
An efficient ceiling fan draws about 30 W on high, so it costs about 1 cent an hour at the U.S. average electricity rate of 18.16¢ per kWh (August 2026), or $1.31 a month at 8 hours a day. An older 75 W fan costs about $3.27 a month. A fan saves money only if you raise the thermostat while it runs.
The same fans in every state
1 fan at 30 W, 8 hours a day, 30 days a month, at each state's average residential rate (August 2026).
| Alabama | $1.18 | $14.11 | 16.33¢ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $2.12 | $25.41 | 29.41¢ |
| Arizona | $1.08 | $13.00 | 15.05¢ |
| Arkansas | $1.03 | $12.42 | 14.37¢ |
| California | $2.14 | $25.70 | 29.75¢ |
| Colorado | $1.24 | $14.83 | 17.17¢ |
| Connecticut | $1.76 | $21.18 | 24.51¢ |
| Delaware | $1.35 | $16.16 | 18.70¢ |
| District of Columbia | $1.87 | $22.45 | 25.98¢ |
| Florida | $1.08 | $12.95 | 14.99¢ |
| Georgia | $1.14 | $13.74 | 15.90¢ |
| Hawaii | $3.40 | $40.76 | 47.18¢ |
| Idaho | $0.96 | $11.55 | 13.37¢ |
| Illinois | $1.39 | $16.69 | 19.32¢ |
| Indiana | $1.23 | $14.71 | 17.02¢ |
| Iowa | $1.23 | $14.74 | 17.06¢ |
| Kansas | $1.11 | $13.37 | 15.47¢ |
| Kentucky | $0.99 | $11.92 | 13.80¢ |
| Louisiana | $0.93 | $11.12 | 12.87¢ |
| Maine | $2.31 | $27.74 | 32.11¢ |
| Maryland | $1.54 | $18.49 | 21.40¢ |
| Massachusetts | $2.19 | $26.33 | 30.48¢ |
| Michigan | $1.66 | $19.86 | 22.99¢ |
| Minnesota | $1.24 | $14.86 | 17.20¢ |
| Mississippi | $1.04 | $12.47 | 14.43¢ |
| Missouri | $1.15 | $13.84 | 16.02¢ |
| Montana | $1.12 | $13.45 | 15.57¢ |
| Nebraska | $0.97 | $11.70 | 13.54¢ |
| Nevada | $0.92 | $10.99 | 12.72¢ |
| New Hampshire | $1.99 | $23.88 | 27.64¢ |
| New Jersey | $1.77 | $21.26 | 24.61¢ |
| New Mexico | $1.19 | $14.26 | 16.51¢ |
| New York | $2.06 | $24.75 | 28.65¢ |
| North Carolina | $1.08 | $12.92 | 14.95¢ |
| North Dakota | $0.96 | $11.50 | 13.31¢ |
| Ohio | $1.40 | $16.74 | 19.38¢ |
| Oklahoma | $1.07 | $12.80 | 14.82¢ |
| Oregon | $1.15 | $13.75 | 15.92¢ |
| Pennsylvania | $1.57 | $18.81 | 21.77¢ |
| Rhode Island | $2.03 | $24.35 | 28.18¢ |
| South Carolina | $1.13 | $13.62 | 15.76¢ |
| South Dakota | $1.09 | $13.09 | 15.15¢ |
| Tennessee | $0.97 | $11.59 | 13.42¢ |
| Texas | $1.15 | $13.75 | 15.91¢ |
| Utah | $0.96 | $11.50 | 13.31¢ |
| Vermont | $1.72 | $20.60 | 23.84¢ |
| Virginia | $1.27 | $15.24 | 17.64¢ |
| Washington | $1.05 | $12.64 | 14.63¢ |
| West Virginia | $1.17 | $14.09 | 16.31¢ |
| Wisconsin | $1.40 | $16.77 | 19.41¢ |
| Wyoming | $1.04 | $12.47 | 14.43¢ |
How it works
The formula
cost = kWh × rate
Assumptions
- Watts: ENERGY STAR's certified-fan listings include 52 in fans from about 18 W to about 50 W on high; we use 30 W as a typical efficient model. Older fans with AC motors draw about 75 W. Lower speeds use much less.
- A fan cools people by moving air; it doesn't lower the room's temperature. DOE says it lets you raise the AC thermostat about 4°F with no loss of comfort.
Worked example: one fan through the evening
- 30 W × 8 h × 30 days ÷ 1,000 = 7.2 kWh
- × 18.16¢ = $1.31 a month
Ways to cut the cost
- Turn it off in empty rooms: it cools you, not the room.
- Raise the thermostat a few degrees when the fan is on; that's where the savings are.
- Run it counterclockwise in summer (blowing down) and clockwise on low in winter.
- Choose ENERGY STAR and a DC motor when you replace one.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan?
About 1 cent an hour for an efficient 30 W fan on high at the U.S. average of 18.16¢ per kWh (EIA, August 2026), or $1.31 a month at 8 hours a day. An older 75 W fan costs $3.27 a month for the same use.
Is it expensive to leave a ceiling fan on all day?
Not very: an efficient fan running 24 hours costs about $3.92 a month at the U.S. average rate. But a fan cools people, not rooms, so it does nothing in an empty room; turn it off when you leave.
Does a ceiling fan save money with air conditioning?
It can, if you turn the thermostat up. The Department of Energy says a ceiling fan lets you raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no loss of comfort. A central AC draws far more than a fan, so the fan pays for itself only when the AC runs less.
How many watts does a ceiling fan use?
ENERGY STAR certified 52 in fans draw from about 18 W to about 50 W on high in its listings, many around 20 to 35 W; older fans with AC motors draw more, often 60 to 80 W. A built-in light adds its own watts. The fan's label or the ENERGY STAR product finder gives the figure for your model.