Can a Ceiling Fan Really Save You Money?

It’s a hot day, and you want nothing more than to crank your AC down as cold as an ice skating rink. Unfortunately, that costs a lot to do, and you may not want to spend even more money on electricity than you already do.  

 

So you decide to turn on the ceiling fan, hoping it will circulate the cool air more and cool you down. But does this really work, and can ceiling fans save you money? 

 

Today, we’ll investigate the benefits of ceiling fans for your home. (And some of the negatives as well.) Learn how you can use them to your advantage to save some money on your electric bill. 

A Common Misconception About Ceiling Fans 

 

Many people believe that a ceiling fan helps to cool a room, but that is not true. Ceiling fans don’t actually cool the air, they just cool your skin. A fan's purpose is to circulate the air in the room, which helps wick away sweat from your skin and provides a nice breezy feeling. The more air that passes across your skin, the more heat can be lifted from you. A ceiling fan isn’t making the room colder, but instead just helping you cool down faster. 

 

Unlike a ceiling fan, an air conditioner pulls hot air out of the building while blowing cool air back inside to replace it. If your AC isn’t running, a ceiling fan alone has no way to lower the temperature.

 

Tip from our HVAC friends: To cool down a house at night without your AC, place a box fan on 2 windows, each on the other side of the house. Have one fan blow in and the other blow out. This will push out the hot air from the daytime. 

 

Wasted Electricity 

 

If you aren’t physically inside of the room to be affected by the fan, you aren’t benefiting from the fan and are in fact wasting electricity.  

 

Many people assume the fan helps keep air cool by not staying stagnant, and that the AC’s cold air will be circulated better with the help of the fan. This belief costs many people on their electric bill every month, so make sure you turn the fans off when no one will be in the room. 

 

Since You’re Here > Installing a Ceiling Fan 

 

A fan's purpose is to circulate the air in the room, not cool it.   

 

How Fans Can Actually Save You Money 

 

Despite all this, ceiling fans can still save you money on your electric bill. Although running a fan may not cool down the room on paper, the fan definitely makes a difference when you are in the room. You should raise your thermostat setting a few degrees when you have access to a fan.  

 

On average, a fan can produce around a 5-degree change in perceivable temperature. Turning on a fan is a lot cheaper, and a lot quicker way to cool down than turning your AC down by 5 degrees! By putting less strain on your AC, you can save money without noticing much of a difference. 

Let’s See a Recap 

 

Here’s what you should remember:  

 

  • Many people believe that a ceiling fan helps to cool a room, but that is not true. Their purpose is to circulate the air in a space. 

  • On average, a fan can produce around a 5-degree change in perceivable temperature. 

  • You need the right size fan for your room to make a difference; here’s more about installing the right ceiling fan, the right way.  

  • Switching to more energy-efficient options will save you in the long run and allow you to do more with the electricity you do use. From LED lightbulbs to solar panels, there are many ways to see savings! 

 

 

Make The Most of Your Electricity With Axiom Power 

 

Energy use is subjective. For some, turning the AC down doesn’t raise their bill much, while for others it can be a much more substantial cost.  

 

Switching to more energy-efficient items will save you a lot of money each month on your bill, all while allowing you to do more with the electricity you do use. From LED lightbulbs to solar panels, there are many ways to save on electricity while being more environmentally friendly. Contact Axiom Power to learn what may be causing your high electric bills, and what you can do to change this.  

 

Whether residential or commercial, Axiom Power is here to help with all your electrical needs. Give us a call and see how we can lend a hand (well, several). Here we believe there are no problems, only solutions.

Gregory Bennett