Here’s how much it really costs to run your fan all night, according to an expert

With the current heatwave that's taken over the UK, I know I’m not the only one sleeping with one of the best fans on all night. Honestly, it's getting to the point where I don’t even know what I’d do without it – even though I recently found out about the slightly terrifying reason why I probably shouldn’t be sleeping with a fan on at all.

However, here's something else that might finally convince me to hit that off switch...the cost.

Chris Madikian, Electrical Expert at The Local Electrician, says many households seriously underestimate how much energy these cooling devices use – especially when they’re running all night during a heatwave.

“Most people don't realise that a fan left running can add between £10 to £20 to monthly electricity bills during summer,” Madikian said. “The actual cost depends on the fan's power rating and how many hours it runs each day.”

Yikes.

He also explained that older fans tend to be much less efficient than newer ones.

“A fan manufactured before 2018 often lacks the energy-efficient motors found in current models. This means your old faithful fan from the attic might cost twice as much to run as a newer equivalent.”

He broke it down even further, explaining how small desk fans use around 25–45 watts, pedestal fans use 50–100 watts, and tower fans can use up to 110 watts, depending on the model. However, it's the speed you run your fan on that really matters.

“Running a fan on its highest setting can use up to 40% more electricity than the lowest,” he said. “Often, for the best sleep, the lowest setting will be enough for sufficient air movement.”

His final tip was to keep an eye out for fans with timers or sleep modes, as they’ll automatically shut off after you’ve nodded off, saving you hours of unnecessary energy use.

Now that you know the cost, why not check out these 5 cooling bedroom essentials for other ways to stay chill without draining your wallet?