Do box fans use a lot of electricity and add a lot of money to your monthly bill?
How much do box fans cost to run per day and per month, and is it expensive to leave them on for 24 hours a day, every day?
Are they cheaper to use than ceiling fans or air conditioners?
I am an electrical engineer, and I wrote this short article in order to help you answer these questions and help you know how to pick an efficient box fan that saves you money on the long run.
Without further ado, let’s begin!
Do Box Fans Use a Lot of Electricity?
Box fans do not use a lot of electricity compared to other appliances, as the average box fan uses around one-tenth of the electricity that 1-ton AC uses during the same running time.
This means that running an average box fan for 24 hours would consume as much electricity as running a 1-ton AC unit for around 2.5 hours.
And this is similar to the electricity usage of fans of many different types, such as tower fans and ceiling fans, as fans
The total energy consumption of a fan depends on its wattage, the speed it is left on, and the total time of use.
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How Much Electricity Does a Box Fan Use?
On average, a box fan uses around 0.1 kilowatt-hour of electricity for each hour it runs, which accumulates into around 1 kilowatt-hour per day assuming that you keep it on for ten hours a day, based on the average box fan wattage of 100 Watts.
The exact amount of electricity a box fan uses in an hour will vary depending on the unit’s wattage, and on the speed it is running as running the same box fan on different speeds uses different levels wattage and thus, different amounts of electricity per hour.
How Much Electricity Does a Box Fan Use in 24 Hours?
On average, a box fan uses around 2.4 kWh’s of electricity when running for a complete 24-hour period, assuming that it draws around 100 Watts of power when running.
This is mostly for the 20″ box fans that are more popular, and some of them could draw around 75 Watts of power, which results in around 1.8 kWh’s in 24 hours, while others might draw around 170 Watts of power, which results in around 4 kWh’s in 24 hours of usage.
Smaller 10″ box fans usually draw between 20-45 watts when running, and thus, they use less than 1.2 kWh’s in 24 hours.
How Much Electricity Does a Box Fan Use Per Month?
On average, a box fan uses around 30 kWh’s of electricity per month, assuming the average box fan wattage of 100 Watts, and the daily usage of 10 hours per day.
Assuming that you run the 100-watt box fan for 24 hours a day, every day of the month, then it would consume around 72 kWh’s per month.
How Many Watts Does a Box Fan Use?
A box fan uses anywhere between 50-200 Watts of power in order to run for the bigger size of 20″ box fans.
Smaller box fans of 9″, 10″, or 11″ use between 20-45 Watts of power when running.
Note that most fans come with multi-speed settings, which means that the fan would draw a different amount of power at each speed, drawing its highest wattage at its highest speed.
Are Box Fans Expensive to Run?
Box fans are not expensive to run as they don’t use a lot of electricity compared to the major appliances, as the average box fan costs around one-tenth of what a 1-ton AC unit costs.
How Much Does a Box Fan Cost to Run?
On average, a box fan costs around $0.014 per hour (1.4 cents/hour) in order to run, with the average wattage of 100 Watts and average energy rate of 14 cents/kWh.
Per day, assuming that you run the box fan for ten hours a day, it would cost around 14 cents a day to run it.
And in twenty-four hours, the box fan would cost around 34 cents to run.
Per month, a box fan costs around $4.2 if you run it for ten hours a day, every day of the month, and around $10.08 if you run it non-stop for 24 hours a day, every day of the month.
Note that these estimates are based on the average wattage of the box fans, average daily use, and on the average electricity rate of 14 cents/kWh.
THe actual cost of running a box fan would vary from one user to another depending on the actual unit wattage, the speed it is running on, the actual number of hours it is used every day, and the actual electricity rate as rates differ from one place to another.
For example, in Connecticut and California, expect the costs to be 50% higher than the estimates above as the rates their are around 50% higher than the average, while in Washington and Utah, expect the costs to be around 30% lower.
5 Tips to Choose Energy Efficient Box Fans
Here are some tips to help you choose an efficient box fan and save energy and money on your bills:
- Determine if you were going to use it in small rooms only or in big rooms as well, or on your own desk or beside your bed.
- For larger spaces or distances, look for bigger box fans (20″) with higher air flow (1,400-3,000 CFM), while for rooms up to 150 sq.ft., or on desks or beside beds, a small 10″ box fan with less than 1,000 CFM might be sufficient.
- Compare fans with one another and see which one gives higher CFM at a lower wattage.
- Pick a box fan with multi-speed settings.
- If you intend to run the box fan while you are asleep, or if you forget to turn things off, then you better choose a box fan with a shut-off timer.
Conclusion – Box Fans Can Be a Cheaper Option
Box fans can be a cheaper option to use as they don’t use a lot of electricity and don’t cost a lot to buy and install compared to AC units and ceiling fans.
They might not provide the high airflow ceiling fans provide, and do not cool the air as an AC unit does, but they can be useful and give you comfort in many cases when people use those bigger appliances when they don’t actually need them.
Follow the tips in the previous section in order to save more on the long run when using a box fan.
And if you still have any question on this topic, feel free to leave it in the comments’ section below, and I will do my best to help you out 