U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
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Side-by-side running cost

Central Air Conditioner vs Ceiling Fan: Which Costs Less to Run?

The short answer

Per hour of use, a ceiling fan ($0.01/hr) costs about 99% less to run than a central air conditioner ($0.64/hr) at the US average rate of 18.3¢/kWh. At typical use (8 hours a day vs 8 hours a day), that’s $156 vs $2.23 a month.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

Central Air Conditioner

Typical power
3,500W
Per hour
$0.64
Per month
$156
Per year
$1,871
Typical use
8 hours a day
Full central air conditioner breakdown
Cheaper to run

Ceiling Fan

Typical power
50W
Per hour
$0.01
Per month
$2.23
Per year
$26.73
Typical use
8 hours a day
Full ceiling fan breakdown

Central Air Conditioner vs Ceiling Fan in the 10 largest states

Monthly cost at typical use and each state’s average residential rate.

StateCentral Air ConditionerCeiling FanDifference
California $286 $4.09 $282
Texas $135 $1.93 $133
Florida $128 $1.83 $126
New York $255 $3.64 $251
Pennsylvania $185 $2.64 $182
Illinois $164 $2.34 $161
Ohio $166 $2.37 $163
Georgia $139 $1.98 $137
North Carolina $129 $1.84 $127
Michigan $196 $2.80 $194

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is a central air conditioner cheaper to run than a ceiling fan?

Per hour of use, a ceiling fan ($0.01/hr) costs about 99% less to run than a central air conditioner ($0.64/hr) at the US average rate of 18.3¢/kWh. At typical use (8 hours a day vs 8 hours a day), that’s $156 vs $2.23 a month.

How much power does a central air conditioner use compared with a ceiling fan?

A central air conditioner typically draws 3,500W, while a ceiling fan draws about 50W.

More comparisons

Sources & method