Fan Your Way to Lower Energy Bills

Image Gallery Turn up your thermostat because a ceiling fan can make an air-conditioned room feel 4 degrees cooler. FOTOLIA

The Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration estimates that the spot price for natural gas, used for electricity and heating fuels, will increase about 65 percent this winter. So, instead of worrying about gasoline prices, it’s time to start thinking about ways to save on heating and cooling, especially because they make up 45 percent of your home’s energy bill. While most everyone is looking for extra change under their couches, in their cars or just picking it up off the streets, the answer to saving money may be directly above your head, with a ceiling fan.

The Savings

First off, a ceiling fan works to move the air throughout the room, making it feel cooler. If you use a ceiling fan in cooler climates, it can actually make a house feel cool enough to prevent the need for an air conditioning unit. In hotter climates, a ceiling fan can make an air-conditioned room feel 4 degrees cooler, allowing you to raise your thermostat. By raising it just 2 degrees, you can save up to 14 percent on your energy bill throughout the year.

Remember to turn off the fan when no one is in the room. Ceiling fans make people feel cooler, but they won’t actually change the temperature of a room like an air conditioning unit would. So there’s no point in burning the (albeit small) energy used by a fan when the room is empty.

How it Works

During the summer, a ceiling fan should rotate counter-clockwise, which pushes the airflow in a downward direction and, therefore, creates a cool, wind-chill effect. If yours is rotating clockwise, you can change its direction by just flipping the fan’s slide switch, found on the motor housing at the body of the fan, as explained in Easy Energy-Saving Tip: Summer Ceiling Fan Setting.

Don’t forget to change it back, though, when the weather becomes cooler, because it can make a room feel warmer, too. When a fan is rotating in a clockwise direction, it forces warm air down from the top of a room to the bottom.