Expert explains how much it costs to run a fan – and how to lower it

As Britons prepare for what’s set to be an 11-day heatwave with temperature highs expected to exceed 30C, many may be curious as to how much a fan costs to run to keep the house cool – especially while energy bills remain high.

There is a simple way to figure out the running cost of a fan, as well as ways to maximise efficiency to keep the price as low as possible, BOXT founder Andy Kerr has said.

How much does it cost to run a fan?

To work out the cost of running a fan, it’s important that people first find out how much they pay for one unit of energy (1kW), which can be found on a person’s energy bill.

According to the Energy Guide, the national average price per pence/kWh of electricity currently comes in at 34p.

Next, people need to work out the kW output of their fan. Mr Kerr said: “You can do this by checking its wattage, which can be found on the fan or the instruction leaflet.

“Once you know the wattage, convert this figure into kilowatt-hours by simply dividing the wattage by 1,000. This will reveal the amount of energy your fan uses per hour.”

Multiply these figures with the cost of a unit of energy by the kW output of the fan, and that will be how much it costs to run the fan per hour.

Mr Kerr added: “To work out how much this is costing you per day, you can multiply by how many hours your fan is switched on.”

Putting the price into context, experts at BOXT said box fans typically consume 0.073kWh worth of electricity per hour at full speed.

Don’t miss…
Exact dates of 11-day heatwave with temperatures to rocket to scorching 34C[LATEST]
‘Best time to water plants’ during a heatwave or risk killing them completely[EXPLAINED]
Premium Bonds warning as savers may ‘pay a price’[INSIGHT]

Multiplying this by the average cost of electricity at 34p, this brings the price to run this kind of fan up to 2.48p per hour. To use the fan for a typical working day of eight hours, it’d cost a household 19.84p.

According to BOXT experts, tower fans use an average of 0.056 kWh, which would cost around 1.9p per hour to run. Multiplying this by eight would cost around 45.7p a day.

Standing fans can use up to 0.0425 kWh each hour, which could amount to 1.4p for each hour they are used and around 11.2p per night.

Mr Kerr commented: “As temperatures rise, consumers often look for ways to cut their bills after a long and cold winter. However, it is possible to cost-effectively cool your household with fans during the summer months. Whilst the average 110w floor fan uses 2p of energy an hour or 48p a day, which would add £14.40 to your monthly energy bills, this price can be lowered if you are strategic with your fan and utilise their strengths.”

While many keep their fans in storage during the colder months, dust can accumulate on blades and in crevices which according to Mr Kerr, can reduce their efficiency.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

He suggested: “Before switching them on, be sure to remove any dust from the blades and any other surfaces before using your fan to boost their efficiency.”

He also added that fans “are at their most efficient” on their lowest power setting, so pick the slowest speed for a decent cooling breeze.

Additionally, Mr Kerr said: “Whilst you may be tempted to place your fan in front of an open window to try and improve its cooling effect, if it’s an especially hot day, this may result in blowing warm air throughout your home.”

Instead, Mr Kerr suggested placing a bowl of ice cubes or cold water in front of the fan to circulate a cool breeze throughout the property.

Mr Kerr said: “As summer approaches, more people across the UK will be looking to invest in or get out their fans to keep them cool. Whilst energy consumption remains a concern for many, running a fan is not as costly as one may assume.”

Source: Read Full Article