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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Ceiling Fan? $0.01/Hr, $1.84/Mo

Running a ceiling fan at 60 watts for 6 hours a day costs about $0.06 a day and $1.84 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $11 a year.

60 W (15–90 W)Typical power draw
6 h/day, 30 days/monthAssumed use
0.36 kWhEnergy per day

· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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a ceiling fan: energy cost only (60 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.
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Slider nudges the rate for a ceiling fan; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan?

The same a ceiling fan at 6 hours a day costs $1.30 a month at 12¢ and $4.86 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Ceiling Fan? $0.01/Hr, $1.84/Mo
Electricity rate Per hour Per day Per month in season Per year
12¢/kWh $0.007 $0.04 $1.30 $8
15¢/kWh $0.009 $0.05 $1.62 $10
17¢/kWh (US avg) $0.010 $0.06 $1.84 $11
20¢/kWh $0.012 $0.07 $2.16 $13
25¢/kWh $0.015 $0.09 $2.70 $16
30¢/kWh $0.018 $0.11 $3.24 $19
35¢/kWh $0.021 $0.13 $3.78 $23
45¢/kWh $0.027 $0.16 $4.86 $29
Typical power draw
60 W (15–90 W)
Assumed use
6 h/day, 30 days/month
Energy per day
0.36 kWh
Cost per day
$0.06
Cost per month
$1.84
Cost per year
$11

Why this number

Running a ceiling fan at 60 watts for 6 hours a day costs about $0.06 a day and $1.84 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $11 a year. The formula for a ceiling fan: 60 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a ceiling fan your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $1.30, at 45¢/kWh it costs $4.86.

A ceiling fan rated at 60 watts, run 6 hours a day, costs about $0.06 a day — about $1.84 a month, or $11 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 37th of the 40 appliances tracked here, near the bottom. It is not where a high bill comes from, and switching it off will not rescue one.

What actually drives this number

A ceiling fan cools people, not rooms, so it only saves money if it lets you raise the thermostat. Left running in an empty room it is pure cost — small, but pure. Costed over a six-month season.

Unlike resistance loads, efficiency here is genuinely shoppable — the SEER2 rating on the nameplate sets the input watts directly, and it is a large part of why real units span 15–90 W. The same refrigeration cycle also runs in reverse: the heat pump , at about $104.78 an in-season month, is what that trick looks like applied to heating.

Where this number comes from

Putting Ceiling fan in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a ceiling fan next to the rest of the bill:

For a ceiling fan: cooling equipment moves heat rather than making it, so it delivers several units of cooling per unit of electricity. That efficiency is why it beats resistance heating for the same effect, and long run-hours are why it still lands high on the bill. On this site’s own numbers, a ceiling fan lands at #37 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $1.84 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 60 W arithmetic for a ceiling fan, step by step:

  1. Watts to kilowatts. 60 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.06 kW.
  2. Energy per day. 0.06 kW × 6 hours = 0.36 kWh.
  3. Cost per day. 0.36 kWh × $0.17 = $0.06.
  4. Cost per month. $0.06 × 30 days = $1.84.

For a ceiling fan the two levers are run-hours (6 h/day here) and your rate; at 6 hours a day, 60 W adds up — which is why cooling equipment dominate the rankings.

Other cooling loads: Window air conditioner ($101/yr), Heat pump water heater ($169/yr), Portable air conditioner ($233/yr). Closest on annual cost: CPAP machine ($11/yr), Washing machine ($11/yr). Across all other cooling loads here, the priciest is Heat pump at $104.78/mo.

The a ceiling fan table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a ceiling fan ($1.84 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan per hour?

About $0.010 an hour for a ceiling fan at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 60 W unit. The calculation is 60 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.018.

How much does a ceiling fan add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $1.84 a month for a ceiling fan at 6 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $11 a year across a 6-month season. For a ceiling fan, change the 6-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 60 W does.

How many watts does a ceiling fan use?

Typically around 60 W, with real units ranging from about 15 to 90 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a ceiling fan figure?

$1.84 a month is the energy cost of a ceiling fan alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a ceiling fan for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a ceiling fan: 60 W ÷ 1,000 × 6 h × $0.17 = $0.06 a day; × 30 days = $1.84 a month; × 6 months in use = $11 a year. 60 W and 6 h are the typical figures cited for a ceiling fan; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

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