A fan uses an average of about 50 watts, or 0.05 kWh per hour. At an electricity price of 21 cents per kWh (an assumption), that costs just over 1 cent per hour. The Dynter AV25G has a power of 55 watts, while the TV26G tower fan has 100 watts. An eight-hour night will therefore cost you about 9 to 17 cents.
How many watts does a fan use?
Consumption depends on the type of fan and the selected setting. Milieu Centraal estimates that a fan that runs for 110 hours uses 5.5 kWh of electricity. Divided by 110 hours, that averages out to about 50 watts. That is our own calculation based on their figures, not a fixed figure for every model. A tall tower fan usually has a more powerful motor than a small table fan. You can find the exact power of your fan on the type plate or product page, expressed in watts.
Watts and kWh: how to calculate consumption
Watts indicate how much power an appliance requires at a given moment. A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the amount of energy you pay for: 1,000 watts for one hour. The calculation is simple: divide the power in watts by 1,000, multiply by the number of hours, and you have the number of kWh. Multiply that by your electricity price and you will know what the fan costs. Strictly speaking, a fan does not use watts per hour, but watts is the power and kWh is the consumption. However, this is what people often search for. For the examples in this article, we use 21 cents per kWh, the average electricity price used by Milieu Centraal. This is an assumption: the rate in your energy contract may be higher or lower.
How much does a fan cost per night and per month?
The table uses the power from the product pages and the average from Milieu Centraal. The stated power is what the manufacturer specifies; on a lower setting, a fan usually consumes less.
| Fan | Power | Per hour | Per night (8 hours) | Per month (30 nights) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average fan (Milieu Centraal) | approx. 50 W | approx. 1 cent | 0.40 kWh, approx. 8 cents | 12 kWh, approx. 2.52 euros |
| Dynter AV25G | 55 W | approx. 1.2 cents | 0.44 kWh, approx. 9 cents | 13.2 kWh, approx. 2.77 euros |
| Dynter TV26G | 100 W | approx. 2.1 cents | 0.80 kWh, approx. 17 cents | 24 kWh, approx. 5.04 euros |
Even if you run a fan for eight hours every night for a whole month, you are only talking about a few euros. Consumption is usually not a reason to leave it on.
How to keep your fan's consumption low
A fan is already energy-efficient, but you can use it even more smartly. Use the timer so that the appliance does not run all night: the TV26G has a timer for up to 7.5 hours. For that fan, choose the ECO setting, in which the fan automatically switches on and off alternately. According to the product page, that is the most energy-efficient setting. Turn off the fan when you leave the room, because a fan mainly cools by the airflow on your skin and not the room itself. Keep the grille and blades dust-free as well, so that the airflow is not obstructed; how to do that can be read in our step-by-step guide to cleaning a fan. If the housing gets warm after a few hours, that is often normal, as we explain in our article about a fan getting warm.
A fan only moves air and does not provide ventilation, the RIVM emphasizes. So just open a window or grille regularly, even if the fan is running.
Which Dynter fan is right for you?
Dynter AV25G (white or grey) is a freestanding, foldable fan that is height-adjustable from 80 to 125 cm.
Power: 55 W (AC motor)
Airflow: 5.3 m/s and a CADR value of 3533 m³/h
Operation: control knob with three speed settings and oscillation
Dimensions: 42 x 42 x 125 cm, weight 3.49 kg
Dynter TV26G is a tower fan 115 cm tall with a remote control.
Power: 100 W
Settings: three speeds and three ventilation settings (Normal, ECO and Sleep)
Timer and display: timer for up to 7.5 hours, LED display that automatically turns off after 30 seconds
Dimensions: 32 x 32 x 115 cm, weight 3.7 kg
Direct answer: a fan uses an average of about 50 watts (0.05 kWh per hour). The AV25G uses 55 watts and the TV26G 100 watts, together costing about 1 to 2 cents per hour at 21 cents per kWh.
Looking for energy-efficient cooling? Check out the AV25G freestanding fan, the TV26G tower fan or the entire collection of fans and air coolers. Want to know more about the settings? Read what natural, normal and sleep mode mean, or calculate how much electricity an air cooler uses.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a fan use in a night?
With eight hours of use, a fan of 50 to 100 watts uses between 0.4 and 0.8 kWh. At 21 cents per kWh, that is about 8 to 17 cents per night. Your actual costs depend on your own rate.
Does a fan use more electricity on a higher setting?
Usually yes, because a higher speed puts more demand on the motor. The power on the product page is what the manufacturer specifies. On a lower setting or in the ECO setting of the TV26G, the consumption will usually be lower.
Can a fan be on all day?
In terms of costs, that is not a problem: the AV25G uses about 1.32 kWh in 24 hours, approximately 28 cents. Do turn it off if no one is in the room, because a fan cools people and not the space.
Is a fan more energy-efficient than an air cooler?
A fan only moves air, while an air cooler also uses water to cool the air. You can compare the electricity consumption of both in our calculation in the article about the electricity consumption of an air cooler.