Home › Appliances › Ceiling fan
How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a ceiling fan costs about $15.82 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 1.1¢
- Per day of use
- 8.8¢
- Per month
- $1.32
- Per year
- $15.82
Assumption: 60 W, 8 hours a day, 180 days a year — 86 kWh a year. A typical 52-inch fan on medium. DC-motor fans draw about a third of this.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | 91.6¢ | $10.99 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | 91.9¢ | $11.03 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | 94.5¢ | $11.34 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | 96.6¢ | $11.59 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | 98.7¢ | $11.85 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | 98.9¢ | $11.86 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | 99.2¢ | $11.91 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | 99.4¢ | $11.93 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $1.03 | $12.38 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $1.03 | $12.40 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $1.03 | $12.41 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $1.05 | $12.56 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $1.06 | $12.71 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $1.08 | $12.95 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $1.08 | $12.99 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $1.09 | $13.10 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $1.10 | $13.19 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $1.11 | $13.28 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $1.11 | $13.29 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $1.11 | $13.37 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $1.14 | $13.63 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $1.14 | $13.72 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $1.15 | $13.80 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $1.15 | $13.82 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $1.16 | $13.90 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $1.16 | $13.90 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $1.17 | $14.06 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.18 | $14.17 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $1.20 | $14.45 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $1.22 | $14.69 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $1.26 | $15.08 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $1.26 | $15.16 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $1.33 | $15.97 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $1.37 | $16.47 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $1.38 | $16.61 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $1.40 | $16.80 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $1.54 | $18.50 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $1.56 | $18.77 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $1.66 | $19.92 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $1.71 | $20.52 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $1.74 | $20.87 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $1.81 | $21.76 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $1.82 | $21.78 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $1.92 | $22.98 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $2.04 | $24.44 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $2.08 | $24.91 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $2.15 | $25.83 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $2.20 | $26.34 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $2.33 | $28.00 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $2.42 | $29.04 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $3.46 | $41.47 |
Cutting the number down
- A fan cools people, not rooms. Running one in an empty room is pure cost with no benefit.
- Because moving air feels several degrees cooler, a fan lets you raise the thermostat, which is where the real money is saved.
- Reverse the direction in winter to push warm ceiling air back down without adding heat.
Questions
- How many watts does a ceiling fan use?
- About 60 W while running.
- How much does a ceiling fan cost per month?
- About $1.32 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $15.82 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $10.99 a year, versus $41.47 in Hawaii — a spread of $30.48.