Cooling · Virginia
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Ceiling Fan in Virginia?
The short answer
Running a 50W ceiling fan in Virginia costs about $0.01 an hour. At 8 hours a day, that’s roughly $2.14 a month and $25.62 a year.
Virginia’s average residential rate was 17.6¢ per kWh in July 2026 (EIA), 4% below the US average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Ceiling Fan cost by daily use in Virginia
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour/day | 1.5 | $0.01 | $0.27 | $3.20 |
| 2 hours/day | 3.0 | $0.02 | $0.53 | $6.41 |
| 4 hours/day | 6.1 | $0.04 | $1.07 | $12.81 |
| 8 hours/day | 12.2 | $0.07 | $2.14 | $25.62 |
| 12 hours/day | 18.3 | $0.11 | $3.20 | $38.43 |
| 24 hours/day | 36.5 | $0.21 | $6.41 | $76.87 |
Virginia vs other states
At typical use, a ceiling fan costs $25.62 a year in Virginia — $44.46 less than in Hawaii and $7.05 more than in Louisiana.
Virginia has the 20th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. electricity prices in Virginia · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in Virginia
17.6¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.2% from a year earlier.
How to lower the cost of running a ceiling fan
Ceiling fans don't lower the room temperature; they make you feel 3–4°F cooler through wind-chill on your skin. That is why they save money only when you also raise the thermostat. A standard AC-motor fan uses 50–90W on high, while efficient DC-motor fans use 15–35W. Running a fan in an empty room just wastes electricity.
- Turn fans off when you leave the room — they cool people, not spaces.
- Raise the AC thermostat by 3–4°F when the fan is running.
- In winter, reverse the direction (clockwise) on low to push warm air down from the ceiling.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan for 24 hours in Virginia?
Running a 50W ceiling fan for 24 hours uses about 1.20 kWh, which costs about $0.21 at Virginia’s average rate of 17.6¢/kWh.
How many kWh does a ceiling fan use per month?
At 8 hours a day, a typical ceiling fan uses about 12.2 kWh a month. In Virginia that costs $2.14.
Is it expensive to run a ceiling fan in Virginia?
Virginia has the 20th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 17.6¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running a ceiling fan here costs about $25.62 a year at typical use, compared with $26.73 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in Virginia right now?
The average residential electricity rate in Virginia was 17.6¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.2% from a year earlier.
Is it cheaper to run a ceiling fan or AC?
A ceiling fan uses roughly 1–3% of the power of central AC. Using fans to raise your thermostat a few degrees is one of the easiest ways to cut summer bills.
Ceiling Fan costs in nearby states
Other appliances in Virginia
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for ceiling fan: 8 hours a day. Typical power 50W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).