Save on Cooling and Heating Costs
Summer Savings
During the warm summer months, turning your ceiling fan on and off in coordination with your air conditioner helps to better circulate the cool air generated by the air conditioner. The result is that your home will be cooler than if you were running only the air conditioner. This allows you to set your AC thermostat to several degrees higher than you normally would, while maintaining a comfortable climate in your home.
For every degree that you raise your thermostat, you will reduce by about 10% the number of "on" cycles your AC will need to run to achieve your desired temperature — thereby reducing your energy consumption.
Wind-chill effect
Ceiling fans further help keep you cool through what is known as the the "wind-chill effect." This is when the moisture on your skin, produced through your sweat glands, evaporates in the breeze caused by your fan. This process lowers the temperature on the skin's surface, making you feel up to eight degrees cooler.
Summer fan direction
Make sure your ceiling fans are turning counter-clockwise in the summer, pushing the air downwards, to create the desired wind-chill effect.
Winter Savings
Similarly, during winter, turning your ceiling fan on and off in coordination with your furnace helps to better circulate the warm air generated by the furnace. The result is that your home will be warmer than if you were running only the furnace. This allows you to set your furnace thermostat to several degrees lower than you normally would, while maintaining a comfortable climate in your home.
Again, you save money because your furnace does not need to run as frequently.
Summer fan direction
Make sure your ceiling fans are turning clockwise in the winter, pushing the air upwards, to create the desired air flow.
Although running a ceiling fan also uses energy, ceiling fans are less energy intensive than either air conditioners or furnaces, so your overall energy usage is reduced.