Ceiling fans are an increasingly popular and efficient method of keeping your home comfortable due to their lower upfront costs compared to Air Conditioning, and lower operating costs. But once you've made the upfront investment, how much will it cost to keep it spinning?
Ceiling fans are highly efficient, so the average operating costs are extremely low. To calculate how much running your ceiling fan could add to your power bill, you can follow the steps below:
- Check your ceiling fan’s wattage - usually in the manual or specification sheet. This will likely show a minimum/maximum wattage, depending on fan speed. Use your typical speed or calculate the average wattage.
- Convert the wattage to kilowatts by dividing by 1000.
- Multiply kilowatts by the hours you expect to run the fan per day.
- Check your electricity rates on your power bill (dollars per kWh).
- Multiply daily use by your electricity rate.
For example, a 152cm diameter Haiku fan, when run at average speed for 8 hours per day (with an electricity rate of $0.35 per kWh) will cost:
- Wattage: 12 W
- 12 W ÷ 1000 = 0.012 kW
- 0.012 kW x 8 hours = 0.095kWh
- 0.095 x $0.35 = $0.033 per day
- $0.033 per day = $0.1 per month or just $12.16 per year
Fan Speed:
The speed setting you run your fan on directly impacts energy consumption. For example, the same Haiku fan as above will consume between 2.5 - 21.3 W depending on fan speed.
To save running costs, use the lowest speed setting that maintains comfort and consider fans with smart features that adjust settings based on temperature, humidity, and room occupancy.
Factors Affecting Energy Consumption:
- Motor efficiency: models with Brushless DC (Direct Current) motors use significantly less energy than those with traditional AC (Alternating Current) motors. Be sure to consider the impact of having a higher horsepower motor to drive more airflow, versus a smaller motor with lower power as there is a balance between both performance and efficiency to consider here.
- Number and size of blades: fan size should be determined based on your room size and cooling requirements, but generally fewer and shorter blades consume less energy.
- Blade Pitch: fans with a higher blade pitch move more air but also consume more energy.
Comparison with other cooling/ventilation systems:
Air Conditioning:
- Running an air conditioning unit costs an average of $0.3 - $0.6 per hour.
- If you were to run the air conditioning unit for 8 hours per day (as with the fan example above), the annual energy cost would be $876 - $1,752.
- Regular maintenance: Filter replacements cost around $40 per year.
- Annual servicing: Following the yearly service recommendations can cost an additional $100-$200 per year.
- It is important to note that the operating costs of an A/C unit are influenced by the size and efficiency of the model, the size and insulation of the room, electricity rates, usage time, and personal comfort preferences.
Home Ventilation Systems:
- The running costs of a home ventilation system vary depending on the type of system.
- According to DVS, their home ventilation system costs around $0.08 per day translating to $29.2 annually.
- An HRV system such as SmartVent costs around $0.35 per day which translates to $0.015 per hour. To compare this to our 8 hour operation examples, this is $0.12 per day or $43.80 annually.
- Basic inspection and filter change should be performed yearly and can cost between $75 - $100.
Maintenance:
Maintenance often falls through the cracks – and we get it, life is busy! However, neglecting maintenance shortens the lifespan of your cooling and ventilation systems. You could notice up to a 15% increase in your energy usage due to blocked drain channels, dirty filters, and a higher operating current from dust and debris accumulation.
Home ceiling fans don't require annual servicing, simply dust the fan blades off occasionally to keep it spinning smoothly and avoid distribution of dust throughout the room.
Total Annual Costs:
To summarise, the annual cost estimate of running each option for 8 hours a day (and accounting for maintenance costs) are as follows:
Haiku Ceiling Fan - $12.16 per year
Air Conditioning - $1,016-$1,992 per year
DVS - $104.20-$129.20 per year
HRV - $118.80-$143.80 per year
Maximising Home Comfort Year-Round:
Both A/C and home ventilation systems can be used in conjunction with ceiling fans to provide maximum comfort and airflow, with the ceiling fans increasing the efficiency of the overall solution to reduce operating costs.
Ceiling fans aren't just for hot weather either – running your ceiling fan at low speeds in winter pushes warm air from your heating source downwards, reducing heating costs by up to 30%. If you prefer a toasty wood-burning fireplace in the cooler months, running a ceiling fan at low speeds circulates warmth and significantly increases heating efficiency.
Conclusion:
Ceiling fans offer one of the most cost-effective thermal comfort solutions, and with energy-efficient models such as a Haiku L fan from our Big Ass Fans range, you are unlikely to notice the addition to your power bill, and annual maintenance schedules are a thing of the past. When used alongside air conditioning, you can adjust the thermostat and look to save 9% per degree C adjusted on your thermostat, translating to a cost saving of up to 30%. Furthermore, you may find that you use your fan instead of your air conditioning system for several months a year, further reducing your power bill.
Get in touch with our team of experts to help you choose the location and size of your next fan 09 217 6801 | customerservice@jetblackfans.co.nz
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