It’s summertime. Temperatures outside are soaring. Your air conditioner knows it, too. It runs constantly to keep your home cool. Then July’s electric bill comes in…and you sweat for a whole different reason.
If that sounds like your life every summer, join the club. Millions of homeowners battle high air conditioning costs each year. But did you know that one inexpensive tool could save you hundreds on cooling costs? Fans. Fans aren’t just pesky accessories that blow dirt across the room. When used properly, they can dramatically reduce your air conditioning bills.
Here’s how fans cool you down, which types save you money, and how to use them properly this summer.
How Fans Actually Lower Your Body Temperature
Want to know the dirty little secret about fans? They don’t actually cool the room down. Fans keep you cool by blowing air directly across your skin. As air moves across you, it draws heat away from your body. This is known as the wind-chill effect.
Think about how this feels. If you’re in a stuffy room with no airflow, 78 degrees feels like 78 degrees. But add a ceiling fan into the mix. Suddenly, 78 degrees feels like 72. Your body temperature decreases, but the room temperature does not.
This is the trick. Since you feel cooler, you don’t need to blast the AC as low. You can increase your thermostat setting a few degrees without any sacrifice to your comfort level. And over time, that adds up to BIG savings.
Check out the stats below:
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, ceiling fans allow you to raise your thermostat by about 4 degrees Fahrenheit with zero impact on comfort. One degree? That’s 3-5% lower cooling costs. Four degrees? Now we’re talking.
Researchers at The Lancet Planetary Health recently published a study that provided even better news. Fans consume less than 5% of the electricity consumed by air conditioners. By strategically using fans and raising thermostats, homeowners can reduce annual cooling energy usage by over 70%.
This means you could easily save 12% or more on your monthly cooling costs just by running a ceiling fan with your air conditioner.
That $200 monthly cooling bill? With fans, you can save $24/month.
The Potential Energy Savings Are Staggering
Central air conditioners can consume up to 3,500 watts of electricity every hour they’re running. A ceiling fan? Only 50-100 watts per hour.
When you run your fan at the same time as you run your air conditioner, you can raise the thermostat without feeling too hot. Your air conditioner won’t have to run as long to maintain the room’s temperature. And the less it runs, the less money you pay… and the fewer repairs you’ll have in the future.
Types of Fans That Save the Most Money
Fans come in all shapes and sizes. Some are better at trimming costs than others. Ceiling fans are your best bet. They circulate air throughout an entire room and are perfect for bedrooms, living rooms, and large hallways. During summer months, set your ceiling fan to rotate counterclockwise. This pushes air downward and maximizes that wind-chill feeling we all love.
Box fans and window fans are excellent for drawing cooler evening air into your home. Place one near an open window once the sun goes down. It can suck cooler air from outside and decrease the time your AC needs to run at night.
Whole-house fans are more expensive than traditional fans, but they offer tremendous savings. They work by pulling cool air in through open windows and exhausting hot air through the attic. A whole-house fan uses up to 90% less energy than an air conditioner. If you live in a climate with cool nighttime temperatures, it might even replace your air conditioner for hours each day.
How to Use Fans With Your Air Conditioner
Running a fan the wrong way won’t save you money. Don’t make these mistakes. Turn up your thermostat whenever you turn on a fan. This is easily the most overlooked tip for using fans to cut cooling costs. If your thermostat is set to 70 degrees, and you turn on a fan, you’re not decreasing your energy usage. Turn the thermostat up to 74 degrees (or higher). Let the fan do its thing. You’ll be comfortable, and your AC unit won’t have to work as hard.
Don’t run fans in empty rooms. Fans cool people, not rooms. So, if nobody’s in the bedroom, turn that fan off. Not only will you save money, but your rooms will feel less dusty.
Utilize fans at night to naturally cool off your home. Temperatures usually drop at night. Take advantage of this and open your windows. Turn on your fans and have them suck hot air out of your home. You can often cool your home down enough to keep from turning your AC back on until late at night (or not at all).
Switch your ceiling fan to rotate clockwise in winter. Another tip for saving money year-round. Most ceiling fans have a switch that lets you change their rotation direction. When it’s hot outside, you want your ceiling fan to rotate counterclockwise. When it’s cold, reverse the switch so that it rotates clockwise.
This simple switch forces your ceiling fan to blow air upward. As warm air rises, your fan pushes that warm air down and circulates it around the room. You’ll feel warmer without ever turning up the heat.
Should You Upgrade Your Fan?
Older ceiling fans can be less efficient than newer models. While it’s not a necessity, you can upgrade to an ENERGY STAR certified ceiling fan to save even more.
ENERGY STAR ceiling fans use about 20% less energy than regular ceiling fans. They’re just as good at cooling you off, but they use less electricity to do it. At around $100 per fan, the initial investment is worth it in the long run.
UK Example: Lowering Summer AC Costs in a Family House
Our client was frustrated by high electricity bills during a hot summer in their detached townhouse located in Bristol.
Their home was equipped with just a portable air conditioner in the primary living space, which was typically kept running throughout most of the daytime and evening hours.
Setup Before Optimisation
This was their setup before our recommendations:
- Portable air conditioner running 10–12 hours/day
- Low AC thermostat setting (approx. 20°C / 68°F)
- Fans were not being used to circulate air
- Temperature disparity between rooms
They were spending around £80–£110 per month on cooling costs during hotter months/weather. (*Depending on how bad of a heatwave)
Optimised Setup Using Fans
We decided to implement a basic “fans + air conditioning” cooling strategy:
- They installed one ceiling fan in the living room area.
- They added a small tower fan in their bedroom.
- They increased their AC thermostat setting from 20°C to 24°C
- Family used fans to feel cooler without lowering AC temperature further
- Fans were kept on only in rooms where people were present
- Results Of Changes (+ Calculation)
Here’s what happened after using this strategy for several weeks:
Usages
Before (AC only):
- Air conditioner was on for ~10–12 hours/day
- After (AC + Fans):
- Air conditioner usage reduced by ~35–40%
Cost / Comfort
Before:
- Cooling costs: £80–£110/month
- Cool near AC, hot elsewhere
After:
Cooling costs: £55–£70/month
Feels cooler throughout room
Total Savings: £25–£40 / month (estimate)
Lessons Learned
- Fans allowed air to circulate throughout rooms better.
- The air conditioner didn’t have to operate as hard to maintain comfort levels.
- Simply turning the thermostat up by several degrees had a BIG impact.
- Comfort did not suffer—in fact, it likely improved by using fans + AC instead of just AC.
Final Lesson
Fan usage can drastically reduce air conditioning usage in average UK households (*Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester areas). Note that we’re not suggesting throwing out your AC unit and only using fans. Instead, utilise these cost-effective tools to their maximum potential by allowing them to work in conjunction with your air conditioner.
FAQs
Can using a fan with air conditioning help you save money?
Absolutely. By creating a wind-chill effect on your skin, you can set your thermostat to a higher temperature while remaining just as comfortable. The key is to not turn down the AC thermostat; use your fan to circulate the cool air that’s already being produced!
How much money can I save using fans with my air conditioner?
Assuming you follow the tips from this article, you could see cooling costs reduced by 10–20% or more. The exact amount of savings will vary based on your family’s habits and the insulation of your home.
Do fans use a lot of electricity?
No, not at all. While exact wattages will vary by fan model, most ceiling fans consume between 50-100 watts of power. That’s up to 20x less than your average air conditioning unit. To put that in perspective, some portable air conditioners can use over 1,000–2,000 watts per hour.
What’s the best way to use a fan with an air conditioner?
Keep your air conditioner at a higher temperature (aim for 24–26°C / 75-79°F) and use a fan to distribute the cool air around the room. Since your AC doesn’t have to work as hard, this saves you money on cooling costs.
Do fans work better in some UK climates than others?
Yes. Unlike places with heavy humidity or scorching summers like the US or tropical countries, using a fan in the UK can feel cooling year-round. Hot days are typically not overly oppressive in the UK, so a fan can help reduce your AC usage.
Should I leave fans on all day with the AC on?
Only in rooms that are occupied. Remember: fans keep YOU cool, not rooms. If there’s nobody in the room to enjoy the wind-chill effect, turn off the fan and save some extra money!
Are ceiling fans better or should I buy a portable fan?
Ceiling fans are typically better for cooling while stationary in a single room. However, portable fans come in handy if you want to bring that cool breeze with you from room to room.
Can I use fans instead of air conditioning?
In some cases? Maybe. If you’re comfortable leaving a window open during hot summer days in the UK, chances are you don’t need air conditioning. However, if you live in an extremely old house with poor insulation, your AC unit still does the heavy lifting while fans offer welcome relief.
Final Words
Hey, fans aren’t going to magically cool your house on a 105-degree day in Texas. But if used correctly, they can help you keep your cool without breaking the bank. Run a fan, turn up the thermostat, and let them work together. Stay comfortable. Make your AC unit work less. And watch those energy bills plummet. Fans cost you mere pennies an hour to run. And in the summer, that adds up to big bucks in savings.
