Tower fans are a great alternative to air conditioning due to their lower running cost, but this doesn't mean tower fans don't consume electricity at all, and you should still consider their overall running costs.
If you live in a hot climate, you might find you switch your cooler on much more often than a regular household in an average climate would, luckily, as tower fans don't cool air, they have a much cheaper running cost than other cooler appliances. How much your tower fan costs to run will depend on its power, the speed you use it at and how often, as well as how much your electricity costs.
To find out how much your tower fan will cost you to run in your home, we have put together an informational guide that will help you calculate all the expenses of a tower fan and compare how much this fan will cost in comparison to an air conditioning unit.
Tower fans do not use a lot of energy in comparison to some cooling air appliances such as air conditioning, this simply because they recycle the air that is at the bottom of the ground, as this air tends to be cooler. These fans spin their impeller blades via their electric motor to create a cooling wind effect, this is typically oscillating and can be changed via speed.
In comparison to other fans such as pedestal models, tower fans do use more electricity as they increase their range and size of the cooling effect made by the small enclosed blades. The amount of electricity your specific tower fan uses will be typically down to the speed you run it on, for example, running your tower fan at full speed every day will consume more electricity than running it on medium speed.
The watts that your tower fan consumes will vary according to the model and brand you buy, for example, a Dyson jet focus AM09 operates with 2000W power yet an ANSINO tower fan only uses 45 watts.
Often, the better the quality of your fan, the higher the watts, as they will need to consume more watts to produce a greater cooling effect.
We have put together a small calculation you can try below to work out how many watts your specific tower fan will consume as well as how much it will cost you based on the UK electricity cost.
So, let's say with a 2000W tower fan, this means your fan will use around 2000 watts an hour, you then multiply these watts by the current electricity rate which on average is around 14.4p (kWh) in the UK.
2000 x 14.4 = 28,800
You can divide this figure by 1000, which will show you that your tower fan costs you around 28.8p to run for a whole hour, but this is variable to the settings you choose.
To figure out the exact amount of watts your fan will use per day, just simply take the 2000 watt figure and divide it by 1000, this will give you 2kW.
If you want to work out how many kWh your device will use for 6 hours, simply times 2kW by 6 hours which will give you the usage of 12kWh.
Tower fans are not all expensive to buy, you can find some pretty affordable models on the market which only start with a cost of around £50, however, these fans are typically low in power and not very durable.
For a high-quality modern model, you could be looking at spending around £100-£200 on your model, but for some expensive brands like Dyson, these could cost you up to £500 due to their high power.
Luckily, although tower fans can cost you a fair amount upfront, they don't need a lot of maintenance and tend to last a very long time due to their blades being inside of the fan rather than exposed like in a traditional one. Tower fans are also becoming more energy efficient with ceramic stone designs that hold heat for longer after use.
Tower fans are a great alternative to air conditioning units if you are looking to save space and also save on money, as they have a much lower upfront cost, however, you might be wondering which one will cost to more run, especially as tower fans in comparison to others fan have very high running costs.
We have compared the two of them below in terms of how they work to see which one is more energy-efficient and will cost you less.
Air conditioning units operate by using a compressor, condenser and an evaporator, they take the warm air which is around you, cool it inside of the unit then push it back out to cool you down.
These units are more efficient than tower fans as they use their energy to cool the air, unlike tower fans which just push it around for better circulation.
The processes above do mean that air conditioning units not only cost more upfront due to their power but also cost more to run because of all the processes going on inside of the unit. Air conditioning units require more maintenance too because of all their parts and will often need repairs with long term use.
Tower fans on the other hand cost much less to maintain than A/C units and also don't cost too much up front due to their small size. These fans are less efficient than air conditioning units however as they don't cool but just produce a 'wind cooling' effect instead.
Electricity consumption of tower fans is still quite high in comparison to other fans, but nowhere near as high as an A/C unit so you will save money in terms of operation.
In terms of upfront cost, running cost and maintenance cost, a tower fan will save you more money. However, for energy efficiency, an air conditioning unit would be the better choice as it cools the air.
Why do Dyson tower fans cost so much?
Dyson fans tend to be more energy-efficient than regular fans and have a better cooling effect due to their special technology, thus costing more than the average brand.
How much does an air conditioning unit cost?
An air conditioning unit could easily set you back around £500 for a basic model, whether tower fans start as low as £50.
Should I get a tower fan with more watts?
If you are after more power, then go for a tower fan that has bigger watts, however, a great measurement to look at is also airflow capacity, as this well tell you how big of a room it can cool.
Overall, Tower fans do cost more electricity to run than pedestal fans, but the difference is not too large and is worth it if you would prefer a more modern fan that is safer to have around children.
Tower fans also cost less to run than A/C units, so can be a great alternative if you want to avoid the high price of an air conditioning unit but still want some relief during the hot summer months.
It's important to note that the energy consumption of tower fans will vary according to the speed setting you use and the model you buy.
