The weather is finally starting to clear up, which means many of us will be bringing out our loft fans.
But how much do they cost to operate? And will leaving it on all night lead to skyrocketing energy bills?
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Whether it’s a desk fan for when you’re working from home or a larger fan to keep your room cooler at night, most Brits make sure they have one protected before the summer months.
While energy bills continue to fall, it’s still worth knowing how much these appliances cost to stay cool.
Household bills are generally lower during the summer months as there is little need to use the dryer or turn on the heating.
But don’t fall into the trap of writing off those savings with your trusty cooling device.
So how much does running a fan add to your energy bills?
Here’s everything you need to know.
How much energy does a fan use?
To solve this, you need to find out how much electricity your fan consumes.
First, you need to find out its “power in Watts”, which will give you the answer and tell you how much energy it consumes.
Then you need to find the total production required to transform this power into kilowatt-hours.
There is a bit of math involved.
First, you must divide the kilowatt-hours by 1,000, which will give you how much output is used in one hour.
So if your fan outputs 70 watts on high setting and you always use that, divide 70 by 1000 = 0.07.
Then you need to multiply this number by the number of hours you use the fan.
For example, if you use it for 12 hours straight, 0.07 kW x 12 hours will mean an output of 0.84 kW.
What are kilowatts and watts?
TRYING to calculate the energy consumption of your appliances can be confusing.
kW means kilowatt. A kilowatt is simply 1,000 watts, which is a measure of power.
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a measurement of energy. Therefore, a 1,000-watt drill needs 1,000 watts (1 kW) of power to run and consumes 1 kWh of energy in an hour.
That’s why, if you leave a TV or computer on standby, it will still be consuming energy and generating a kWh cost on your energy bill.
How much does it cost to leave a fan on all night?
Once you have the kilowatt output, multiply it by the amount charged for 1 kW of electricity.
There is no standard price for the cost of electricity per kWh in the UK, so you will need to check your energy bill to find out this figure.
Based on Ofgem’s April 2024 price cap, suppliers charge the standard variable tariff up to 24.50p per kWh of electricity.
With this in mind, you would take 0.84kW and multiply it by 24.50 – equaling 20.58p.
The equation is: cost = power (kilowatt) × time (hour) × cost of 1 kWh (pence).
So if your fan costs 20.58p to run for that long and you keep it on for a whole week, that adds up to £1.44.
If you repeated this over a 4.5 week month, the cost would be £6.48.
Of course, costs vary depending on the type of fan you have, how long you use it, what setting it is on, and how much you pay for power.
Do fans make the room cooler?
While fans can’t make a room cooler, they can make you feel cooler.
Air moving over the skin can lower body temperature, but it doesn’t greatly affect the heat inside a room.
So if you don’t plan on being in the room, there’s no point leaving the fan on.
The fans do not change the heat inside the room at all.
How do I calculate my energy bill?
BELOW we reveal how you can calculate your own energy bill.
To calculate how much you pay for your energy bill, you must find out your unit rate for gas and electricity and the ongoing value for each type of fuel.
The unit rate will usually be shown on your invoice in p/kWh. The standing tariff is a daily tariff paid 365 days a year – regardless of whether or not you use gas or electricity.
You will then need to write down your own annual energy usage from a previous bill.
Once you have these details, you can calculate your gas and electricity costs separately.
Multiply your usage in kWh by the unit tariff cost in p/kWh for the corresponding fuel type – this will give you your usage costs.
You’ll then need to multiply each ongoing charge by 365 and add that amount to your usage totals – this will give you your annual costs.
Divide this amount by 12 and you can determine how much you should pay each month from April 1st.
How else can I stay cool in the heat?
Relying solely on a fan to keep you cool can run up bills during a heat wave, but there are other options you can try.
You can try chilling your sheets before bed by placing them in the freezer, according to TikTok star That Property Guy.
Closing curtains and blinds during the day can help keep the house cool, while opening windows on both sides of the house can create a refreshing breeze at no cost.
He also recommends avoiding using the oven and turning off appliances that are not in use, as they also emit heat, even when on standby.
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said taking a cool shower before bed can prepare you for the night to avoid overheating.
You can try placing hot water bottles in the freezer or a plastic bottle if you don’t have one.
You can also make your fan work harder by placing a bowl of water and ice in front of it to help cool the house.
We also calculate how much it costs to leave the air conditioning on all night.
It’s not just us battling the heat, here are eight gadgets to keep cool in a heat wave — including your furry friends.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
