Running a fan all night usually costs only a few cents. Fans generally use between 25 and 50 watts, depending on the model and the setting. If you calculate that for eight hours of sleep, you end up with approximately 0.2 to 0.4 kWh per night.
How to calculate it yourself
You calculate the costs by dividing the power in watts by 1,000, so that you end up with kWh per hour. Multiply that by the number of hours the fan is on and by the price you pay per kWh. For example, if you use a 40-watt fan for eight hours and pay 0.30 euros per kWh, that comes down to 0.4 kWh times 0.30 euros, so about 12 cents for the whole night.
Why a fan uses so little energy
A fan only moves air; it does not cool the air itself like an air conditioner does. Because of this, the motor is relatively small and the energy consumption is low, even if you set the fan to the highest setting. The cooling effect comes mainly from the airflow along your skin, which makes sweat evaporate faster and gives you a cooler feeling, not from a drop in room temperature.
Fan versus air conditioning
A portable air conditioner can easily use 800 to 1,500 watts, so certainly ten to twenty times as much as a fan. A night with the air conditioning on therefore quickly costs a euro or more, compared to a few cents for a fan. For most nights in the Netherlands, a fan is therefore much more affordable, although the cooling effect is obviously different from a real drop in temperature.
Lower settings and sleep mode make an extra difference
Many fans, including digital models such as the AirFlow AV25G from Dynter, have multiple settings with which you can further limit consumption. On the lowest setting, you often use only half the power that the highest setting requires, while at night you usually do not need a strong airflow to sleep comfortably.
Our advice
Running a fan all night at a few cents per night is barely a cost item, especially compared to air conditioning. In our experience, the AirFlow AV25G with its adjustable height and settings is a pleasant option to direct the airflow exactly at your bed without it being noticeable in your energy bill.