Data through June 2026
Calculator · wattage estimate
Box Fan running cost calculator
These are estimates, not certified measurements.
Typical rated draw of 20-inch box fans across speed settings.
A box fan on high uses about as much power as a large TV — cheap to run, and far cheaper than any compressor-based cooling.
Calculator
Estimate — watts × hours × your rate
- Per day
- 11¢
- Per month
- $3.35
- Per year
- $40
75 W × 8 h/day × 365 ÷ 1,000 = 219 kWh/yr × 18.3¢ = $40/yr
Overnight or a workday of continuous use.
Typical wattages
| Setting | Watts |
|---|---|
| Low (~40 W) | 40 |
| Medium (~55 W) | 55 |
| High (~75 W) | 75 |
Estimated annual cost by state
| State | Rate ¢/kWh | Est. $/yr | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.4¢ | $36 | |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | $62 | |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | $33 | |
| Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $31 | |
| California | 34.7¢ | $76 | |
| Colorado | 17.1¢ | $38 | |
| Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $53 | |
| Delaware | 19.3¢ | $42 | |
| District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $53 | |
| Florida | 15.1¢ | $33 | |
| Georgia | 16.4¢ | $36 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 52.7¢ | $115 | |
| Idaho | 14.4¢ | $31 | |
| Illinois | 19.9¢ | $44 | |
| Indiana | 17.5¢ | $38 | |
| Iowa | 15.9¢ | $35 | |
| Kansas | 15.7¢ | $34 | |
| Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $31 | |
| Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $30 | |
| Maine | 29.6¢ | $65 | |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | $48 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $65 | |
| Michigan | 23.0¢ | $50 | |
| Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $38 | |
| Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $33 | |
| Missouri | 16.2¢ | $36 | |
| Montana | 15.1¢ | $33 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $29 | |
| Nevadacheapest | 13.1¢ | $29 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $59 | |
| New Jersey | 24.9¢ | $55 | |
| New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $33 | |
| New York | 29.5¢ | $65 | |
| North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $32 | |
| North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $31 | |
| Ohio | 19.2¢ | $42 | |
| Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $31 | |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | $36 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $48 | |
| Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $64 | |
| South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $34 | |
| South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $34 | |
| Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $31 | |
| Texas | 15.9¢ | $35 | |
| Utah | 13.4¢ | $29 | |
| Vermont | 24.4¢ | $54 | |
| Virginia | 17.2¢ | $38 | |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | $33 | |
| West Virginia | 15.4¢ | $34 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $43 | |
| Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $33 |
Questions, answered with the data
- How much does a box fan cost per hour?
- At a typical 75 W draw and the U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh, about 1.4¢ an hour. That ranges from 1.0¢ in Nevada to 4.0¢ in Hawaii.
- What does 8 hours a day add up to?
- 75 W × 8 h/day comes to about $3.35 a month ($40 a year) at the U.S. average rate. Overnight or a workday of continuous use.
- Why is this an estimate instead of certified data?
- Typical rated draw of 20-inch box fans across speed settings.