How much power does your ceiling fan consume?

When it comes to cooling, the de facto option in India is the humble ceiling fan. It’s cheap, effective, and it’s everywhere. All it does is spin and circulate air, and that’s enough to keep most Indian houses cool.

However, have you ever given any thought to how much it costs to operate a ceiling fan? We take it for granted, but a ceiling fan, as with any electrical appliance, consumes power while it operates, and we’re talking about an appliance that is likely running 24/7 keeping you cool. And if you’re wondering just how much power it consumes, you came to the right place. Read more on Croma Unboxed.

How much power do ceiling fans consume?

Ceiling fans are generally quite cheap to run, averaging about Rs 5-10 per day. But in a house with multiple fans, the costs can add up. An average 3-bedroom flat might have five fans (three in the bedroom and one each in the living room and dining room), which brings running costs to about Rs 30-50 per day, or Rs 900-1,500 a month. This makes the ceiling fan one of the biggest contributors to your electricity bill.

Take the Croma ECO 120 cm ceiling fan as an example. It’s a standard 410RPM fan with a 1,200mm sweep, and its power consumption is rated at 50W per hour. If we do the math, that comes to 50×24 = 1,200W or 1.2kWh per day, or 36kWh per month, or about 450kWh per year.

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To put it another way, the power consumption of a typical ceiling fan is fairly close to that of a refrigerator. Toss in multiple fans, and those fans will cost as much as running multiple refrigerators.

What can be done about it?

The simplest solution to avoid the (fairly)high running costs of a ceiling fan, quite simply, is to get a more efficient fan. Check fans for their star ratings, and go for one with higher ratings. These fans generally consume less power than a regular ceiling fan, and this matters when you have multiple fans running for long periods of time. 

We’d also recommend repairing or replacing older fans with worn bearings. These bearings help the fan run more smoothly, and when worn down, increase the fan’s resistance to motion, thereby increasing power draw and thus your electricity bill. Fans only cost Rs 1,500 or so, and the power savings will help you recover the cost within months.

Another great way to reduce a fan’s power consumption is by simply making sure to turn it off when not in use. You could also run it at a lower speed, weather permitting of course. Some newer fans today use BLDC or brushless DC motors. These motors are significantly more efficient than regular fan motors and can save a significant chunk of money in the long run.

Fan size also plays a role. Fans with larger blades require more powerful motors, and vice versa. If you can opt for a smaller fan, say for a smaller bedroom, opt for a fan with smaller blades to shave a small portion off your electricity bill. 

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Ceiling fans are a staple in every household, but they’re also staples in our electricity bills. These are not appliances we spare much thought to, but simply paying attention to the condition of our fans and knowing when to replace them can have a big impact on our electricity bills.