How much does a whole-house fan cost to run?
$17 a month while in use, May to September
- A day of use
- $0.54
- An hour of running
- $0.09
- A year (season only)
- $83.34
495 W, 6 hours a day in the evening, May to September, at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month in use | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day | $0.09 | $2.76 | $13.89 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.18 | $5.52 | $27.78 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.36 | $11.05 | $55.56 |
| 6 hours a day typical | $0.54 | $16.57 | $83.34 |
| 8 hours a day | $0.73 | $22.09 | $111.12 |
| 24 hours a day | $2.18 | $66.27 | $333.36 |
Models range from 240 W to 750 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 495 W, the middle of that range.
Ways to spend less
- Run it only when the outdoor air is cooler than indoors, usually evening and early morning.
- Open windows before switching it on so it pulls in outside air instead of straining.
- Run it one hour less a day. Saves about $2.76 a month in season.
What a whole-house fan costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month in use | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $11.84 | $59.57 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $11.97 | $60.21 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $12.08 | $60.75 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $12.19 | $61.30 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $12.71 | $63.94 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $12.76 | $64.16 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $12.76 | $64.16 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $12.88 | $64.80 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $12.95 | $65.12 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $12.98 | $65.30 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $13.32 | $66.98 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $13.44 | $67.62 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $13.47 | $67.75 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $13.60 | $68.43 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $13.64 | $68.62 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $13.68 | $68.80 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $13.71 | $68.98 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $13.77 | $69.25 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $13.88 | $69.80 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $13.96 | $70.21 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $14.05 | $70.66 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $14.19 | $71.39 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $14.39 | $72.39 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $14.40 | $72.43 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $14.65 | $73.71 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $14.74 | $74.16 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $14.78 | $74.34 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $14.82 | $74.52 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $15.47 | $77.84 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $15.56 | $78.25 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $15.82 | $79.57 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $15.83 | $79.61 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $17.34 | $87.20 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $17.43 | $87.66 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $17.67 | $88.88 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $17.97 | $90.38 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $19.63 | $98.74 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $19.73 | $99.24 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $20.77 | $104.47 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $21.97 | $110.51 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $22.03 | $110.83 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $22.08 | $111.06 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $22.54 | $113.38 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $24.40 | $122.74 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $25.48 | $128.19 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $26.41 | $132.82 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $26.64 | $134.01 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $26.73 | $134.46 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $26.75 | $134.55 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $31.38 | $157.86 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $47.63 | $239.56 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a whole-house fan per hour?
About $0.09 an hour. A whole-house fan at 495 W uses 0.495 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.09.
How much does a whole-house fan add to your electric bill?
Used 6 hours a day in the evening, May to September, about $16.57 a month while it is in use, or $83.34 a year across the May to September season.
How much does it cost to run a whole-house fan 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a whole-house fan would use 11.9 kWh a day and cost $2.18 a day, or $66.27 over an average month.
How many watts does a whole-house fan use?
Models range from 240 W to 750 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 495 W, the middle of that range. Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Which state is cheapest to run a whole-house fan in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $11.84 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $47.63 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.