How much a ceiling fan really consumes

Now more than ever we are looking to save on our consumption, and it is very important to know the time of day when the price is lowest in order to reduce spending. Here is a small graph showing the times and days of the week when it is most and least profitable to use our electrical appliances or carry out any activity that requires electricity.

Another fundamental aspect, especially if you spend a lot of time at home, is home air conditioning. Here we are presented with several options, two of which are ceiling fans and air conditioners. Each with its pros and cons, each with its myths and legends.

Undoubtedly, the economic aspect plays a fundamental role when it comes to choosing one or the other. At Arteconfort we want to clarify how much these two air conditioning systems consume, so we have prepared the comparison below.

To make it easier for you, we are going to calculate the power consumption of the CRETA ceiling fan. The first thing we will do is the calculation for a use in first rotation speed, for 8 hours a day in a month.

The CRETA model has a consumption of 4.9W (let’s round it up to 5W) at speed 1. With this assumption we will simulate the use of ceiling fans in many areas of Spain, since in the summer season and due to the high temperatures, in order to fall asleep it is necessary to keep the fan on all night at a low speed in the bedrooms.

So, to find out the monthly cost in euros, we must start by knowing the consumption in kilowatts/hour. First, we multiply the power of the fan by the number of hours in operation, resulting in the total energy consumed in watt hours (Wh). This is the energy consumed by the fan in a day.

The next step is to calculate the result of the energy consumed in kilowatt hours, as this is the unit of measurement in electricity billing. This is obtained by dividing the watt hours by 1,000, as shown below:

Once we have calculated the consumption of our fan in kilowatt hours in a day, we can multiply it by the price of electricity and thus obtain the daily cost in euros. For this, we have taken as a reference the price of 0.4 Euro per kilowatt/hour. This is an average price calculated without taxes that may vary depending on the contract you have with your electricity company.

Finally, we only need to multiply the cost of one day by 30 to calculate how much a ceiling fan with DC motor spends per month.

The result of our calculation, as you can see, is that a ceiling fan running daily for 8 hours, spends only 40 euro cents per month. This is similar to the minimum consumption of a mobile phone charger.

Many times we are afraid to turn on our ceiling fan because of the electricity consumption it can generate. But, as you have been able to see, by doing these calculations we will get rid of this fear and we will realise that we can have our fan on for many hours without increasing our electricity bill. The comfort and well-being it provides us with during the hottest periods of the year is enormous.

Also, we will take into account the same time of use (8 hours per day) in order to be able to make a comparison under the same conditions. The following are the same calculations as for the ceiling fan:

In this case, the result is a monthly cost of more than 80 euros per month, which is a significant amount of money added to the monthly electricity bill. In some cases, this can double the amount of the bill.

Both air conditioning systems are a good option to combat the summer heat, even when used in combination. But it is important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each.

If we talk about ceiling fans, we can say in their favour:

• The initial economic investment is low, we can find models with the most advanced DC motors for less than 200 euros.
• Monthly electricity costs are minimal, as we have seen in the previous calculations.
• Another advantage is that we can use them while we sleep, as they do not make noise (they are practically imperceptible, up to 20 dBs at speed 1).
• They do not dry out the air, avoiding sore throats, muscle aches, headaches and colds.
• We can control them comfortably by means of the remote control which, in the case of the BORA model, allows us to choose the colour temperature, the speed or to program its operation for a certain period of time.

The disadvantage of ceiling fans is that they do not cool the air, but rather move it, generating air circulation. The circulation of air over the skin disperses body heat, causes sweat to evaporate and intensifies the feeling of coolness, thus reducing the thermal sensation by up to 6°C less.

An air conditioner, on the other hand, does cool the air:

• It does cool the air and you can choose the desired temperature.
• We can control them comfortably by remote control and choose the exact temperature we want, as well as programming its operation.

On the other hand, it has a number of disadvantages compared to a ceiling fan:

• Starting with the large initial financial investment: you can find models from around 500 euros, but they are the least efficient and least recommended.
• The monthly cost is high.
• They require a more complex installation, with the condenser having to be installed outside with a drainage outlet.
• They require more maintenance, filter cleaning and gas recharging.
  In addition, they dry out the environment and generate bacteria that accumulate in the filters, worsening air quality and affecting the respiratory tract, skin and eyes, causing sore throats, headaches and muscle aches, as well as colds, allergies and pneumonia.

Although all the factors we have described must also be taken into account, it cannot be denied that the economic aspect has a great weight when choosing the air conditioning system for our home. In this way, with the comparison we have made of the monthly cost of both systems, we can forget the fear of prolonged use of ceiling fans and demystify the cost they generate.

Lower initial financial investment
Maintenance free
Healthy
Does not emit polluting gases
Helps to fall asleep

High initial financial investment
Higher maintenance
Harmful to health
Pollutant