Data through April 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
- $3.44
- Per year
- $41
75 W × 8 h/day × 365 ÷ 1,000 = 219 kWh/yr × 18.8¢ = $41/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 | 17.4¢ | $38 | |
| Alaska | 27.4¢ | $60 | |
| Arizona | 15.5¢ | $34 | |
| Arkansas | 14.2¢ | $31 | |
| California | 35.3¢ | $77 | |
| Colorado | 16.5¢ | $36 | |
| Connecticut | 32.2¢ | $71 | |
| Delaware | 18.8¢ | $41 | |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $56 | |
| Florida | 15.4¢ | $34 | |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | $34 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 46.6¢ | $102 | |
| Idaho | 12.7¢ | $28 | |
| Illinois | 20.5¢ | $45 | |
| Indiana | 17.9¢ | $39 | |
| Iowa | 13.9¢ | $30 | |
| Kansas | 15.8¢ | $35 | |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $33 | |
| Louisiana | 14.4¢ | $32 | |
| Maine | 28.4¢ | $62 | |
| Maryland | 22.1¢ | $48 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.4¢ | $64 | |
| Michigan | 21.4¢ | $47 | |
| Minnesota | 16.4¢ | $36 | |
| Mississippi | 16.8¢ | $37 | |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | $31 | |
| Montana | 13.9¢ | $30 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $29 | |
| Nevada | 14.3¢ | $31 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.2¢ | $60 | |
| New Jersey | 23.5¢ | $52 | |
| New Mexico | 15.2¢ | $33 | |
| New York | 29.4¢ | $64 | |
| North Carolina | 16.3¢ | $36 | |
| North Dakotacheapest | 12.3¢ | $27 | |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $43 | |
| Oklahoma | 13.3¢ | $29 | |
| Oregon | 15.8¢ | $35 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5¢ | $47 | |
| Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | $62 | |
| South Carolina | 17.1¢ | $37 | |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | $32 | |
| Tennessee | 14.9¢ | $33 | |
| Texas | 17.0¢ | $37 | |
| Utah | 13.3¢ | $29 | |
| Vermont | 24.6¢ | $54 | |
| Virginia | 17.4¢ | $38 | |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | $31 | |
| West Virginia | 16.1¢ | $35 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.2¢ | $42 | |
| Wyoming | 14.7¢ | $32 |
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 18.8¢/kWh, about 1.4¢ an hour. That ranges from 0.9¢ in North Dakota to 3.5¢ in Hawaii.
- What does 8 hours a day add up to?
- 75 W × 8 h/day comes to about $3.44 a month ($41 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.