Ceiling Fan vs AC
Compare the cost of running a fan versus an air conditioner.
About Ceiling Fan vs AC
A fan moves air for a fraction of the wattage an air conditioner draws. Multiplying each by the same runtime and rate shows how much cheaper fan-only cooling is. Using a fan to circulate AC-cooled air (or instead of AC on mild days) is one of the simplest ways to cut summer electricity.
Formula
Ceiling Fan vs AC
Monthly = watts x hours x 30 x rate / 1000
- watts
- Average power draw of each device
Worked example
With the default values below, Ceiling Fan vs AC returns Fan Monthly Cost of $1.62. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Fan wattageminimum 0 watts
- 60 watts
- AC wattageminimum 0 watts
- 1,200 watts
- Hours per dayminimum 0 hours
- 6 hours
- Electricity rateminimum 0 $/kWh
- 0.15 $/kWh
Results
- Fan Monthly Cost
- $1.62
- AC Monthly Cost
- $32.40
- Monthly Saving with Fan
- $30.78
- Fan vs AC Factor
- 20.0x more power
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Ceiling Fan vs AC
- 3Fan Monthly Cost= 1.62
- 4AC Monthly Cost= 32.40
- 5Monthly Saving with Fan= 30.78
- 6Fan vs AC Factor= 20.0x more power
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Ceiling Fan vs AC calculated?
Monthly = watts x hours x 30 x rate / 1000 A fan moves air for a fraction of the wattage an air conditioner draws. Multiplying each by the same runtime and rate shows how much cheaper fan-only cooling is.
Why does Ceiling Fan vs AC matter?
Using a fan to circulate AC-cooled air (or instead of AC on mild days) is one of the simplest ways to cut summer electricity.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Fan wattage, AC wattage, Hours per day, Electricity rate. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.