United States Cooling and fans
How much does it cost to run a box fan?
A 20 inch box fan draws about 75 watts on high and 50 on low. Desk and tower fans draw 25 to 70 watts. A fan running all night costs a few cents, which is why it is the first thing to try before the air conditioner.
A 75 watt box fan costs about 1.4 cents an hour to run in the US on average at 18.16 cents per kWh. Running it 8 hours a day comes to about 11 cents a day, $3.32 a month and $39.80 a year.
- Prices: EIA, August 2026, every state
- Wattage range with its source
- Checked 26 October 2026
Uses 0.60 kWh a day, 18 kWh a month, at 18.16 cents per kWh (US average).
The dial places the daily cost between a 50 watt fan and a 4.5 kW water heater on 2.5 hours a day.
A 75 watt box fan costs about 1.4 cents an hour to run in the US on average at 18.16 cents per kWh. Running it 8 hours a day comes to about 11 cents a day, $3.32 a month and $39.80 a year.
What this assumes
The default is a 75 watt box fan running 8 hours a day. Published typical ratings run from 40 to 100 watts. Your label or manual gives the exact figure, and the calculator takes it.
The price is the average residential rate in each state from the EIA's Electric Power Monthly for August 2026, released 23 October 2026. The next monthly table is due 24 November 2026. A fixed tariff, a time-of-use plan or a different payment method changes the rate, which is why the rate field is editable.
Cost to run a box fan in every state
Same 75 watt box fan, 8 hours a day, priced at each state's average residential rate for August 2026. Cheapest: Nevada at 12.72 cents per kWh. Dearest: Hawaii at 47.18. Change the numbers above and the table follows.
| State | Rate | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72c | 1 cent | 7.6 cents | $2.32 | $27.88 |
| Louisiana | 12.87c | 1 cent | 7.7 cents | $2.35 | $28.20 |
| North Dakota | 13.31c | 1 cent | 8 cents | $2.43 | $29.17 |
| Utah | 13.31c | 1 cent | 8 cents | $2.43 | $29.17 |
| Idaho | 13.37c | 1 cent | 8 cents | $2.44 | $29.30 |
| Tennessee | 13.42c | 1 cent | 8.1 cents | $2.45 | $29.41 |
| Nebraska | 13.54c | 1 cent | 8.1 cents | $2.47 | $29.67 |
| Kentucky | 13.8c | 1 cent | 8.3 cents | $2.52 | $30.24 |
| Arkansas | 14.37c | 1.1 cents | 8.6 cents | $2.62 | $31.49 |
| Mississippi | 14.43c | 1.1 cents | 8.7 cents | $2.64 | $31.62 |
| Wyoming | 14.43c | 1.1 cents | 8.7 cents | $2.64 | $31.62 |
| Washington | 14.63c | 1.1 cents | 8.8 cents | $2.67 | $32.06 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82c | 1.1 cents | 8.9 cents | $2.71 | $32.48 |
| North Carolina | 14.95c | 1.1 cents | 9 cents | $2.73 | $32.76 |
| Florida | 14.99c | 1.1 cents | 9 cents | $2.74 | $32.85 |
| Arizona | 15.05c | 1.1 cents | 9 cents | $2.75 | $32.98 |
| South Dakota | 15.15c | 1.1 cents | 9.1 cents | $2.77 | $33.20 |
| Kansas | 15.47c | 1.2 cents | 9.3 cents | $2.83 | $33.90 |
| Montana | 15.57c | 1.2 cents | 9.3 cents | $2.84 | $34.12 |
| South Carolina | 15.76c | 1.2 cents | 9.5 cents | $2.88 | $34.54 |
| Georgia | 15.9c | 1.2 cents | 9.5 cents | $2.90 | $34.84 |
| Texas | 15.91c | 1.2 cents | 9.5 cents | $2.91 | $34.87 |
| Oregon | 15.92c | 1.2 cents | 9.6 cents | $2.91 | $34.89 |
| Missouri | 16.02c | 1.2 cents | 9.6 cents | $2.93 | $35.11 |
| West Virginia | 16.31c | 1.2 cents | 9.8 cents | $2.98 | $35.74 |
| Alabama | 16.33c | 1.2 cents | 9.8 cents | $2.98 | $35.79 |
| New Mexico | 16.51c | 1.2 cents | 9.9 cents | $3.02 | $36.18 |
| Indiana | 17.02c | 1.3 cents | 10 cents | $3.11 | $37.30 |
| Iowa | 17.06c | 1.3 cents | 10 cents | $3.12 | $37.39 |
| Colorado | 17.17c | 1.3 cents | 10 cents | $3.14 | $37.63 |
| Minnesota | 17.2c | 1.3 cents | 10 cents | $3.14 | $37.69 |
| Virginia | 17.64c | 1.3 cents | 11 cents | $3.22 | $38.66 |
| Delaware | 18.7c | 1.4 cents | 11 cents | $3.42 | $40.98 |
| Illinois | 19.32c | 1.4 cents | 12 cents | $3.53 | $42.34 |
| Ohio | 19.38c | 1.5 cents | 12 cents | $3.54 | $42.47 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41c | 1.5 cents | 12 cents | $3.54 | $42.54 |
| Maryland | 21.4c | 1.6 cents | 13 cents | $3.91 | $46.90 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77c | 1.6 cents | 13 cents | $3.98 | $47.71 |
| Michigan | 22.99c | 1.7 cents | 14 cents | $4.20 | $50.38 |
| Vermont | 23.84c | 1.8 cents | 14 cents | $4.35 | $52.25 |
| Connecticut | 24.51c | 1.8 cents | 15 cents | $4.48 | $53.71 |
| New Jersey | 24.61c | 1.8 cents | 15 cents | $4.49 | $53.93 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98c | 1.9 cents | 16 cents | $4.74 | $56.94 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64c | 2.1 cents | 17 cents | $5.05 | $60.57 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18c | 2.1 cents | 17 cents | $5.15 | $61.76 |
| New York | 28.65c | 2.1 cents | 17 cents | $5.23 | $62.79 |
| Alaska | 29.41c | 2.2 cents | 18 cents | $5.37 | $64.45 |
| California | 29.75c | 2.2 cents | 18 cents | $5.43 | $65.20 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48c | 2.3 cents | 18 cents | $5.57 | $66.80 |
| Maine | 32.11c | 2.4 cents | 19 cents | $5.86 | $70.37 |
| Hawaii | 47.18c | 3.5 cents | 28 cents | $8.62 | $103.39 |
Rates: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, residential sector, August 2026, preliminary. All rates with the year-on-year change.
How a box fan uses electricity
Fans use the same power whether the room is hot or cold, so the hours are the only variable that matters. Eight hours a night on a 75 watt fan is 0.6 kWh.
A fan in an open window at night moving cool outdoor air in is more effective than the same fan in the middle of the room.
Ways to cut the cost
- Use low speed. Air movement, not speed, is what cools skin.
- Point it at you, not at the ceiling.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to run a fan all night?
A 75 watt box fan for 8 hours uses 0.6 kWh. At 18 cents that is about 11 cents a night. A 45 watt UK fan at 26p is about 9p a night.
Does a fan use a lot of electricity?
No. Even a large box fan on high draws about a twentieth of what a space heater or window air conditioner does.
Other cooling and fans costs
More in the US
Sources
The electricity price on this page is read from the data file that also lists the release it came from. The wattage range is a published typical range, not a measurement of your appliance.