How much does it cost to run a ceiling fan? (2026–27)
At typical draw · official state tariffs
Typical household use (8 h/day, 120 days a year at 35 W) runs $9–$14 a year depending on your state's tariff.
Wattage basis: Nameplate input ≈ running watts: DC fans ~19–58 W, AC fans up to 75 W+, high-speed 60–100 W.
| State | Model | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales33.1c/kWh · Ausgrid | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.81 | $3 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.09 | $2.82 | $11 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.03 | $0.27 | $8.06 | $32 | |
| Victoria27.5c/kWh · Jemena | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.67 | $3 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.08 | $2.34 | $9 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.03 | $0.22 | $6.68 | $26 | |
| Queensland28.0c/kWh · Energex | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.68 | $3 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.08 | $2.38 | $9 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.03 | $0.22 | $6.80 | $27 | |
| South Australia41.9c/kWh · SA Power Networks | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.03 | $1.02 | $4 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.12 | $3.57 | $14 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.04 | $0.34 | $10.19 | $40 | |
| Western Australia33.3c/kWh · Western Power (SWIS) | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.81 | $3 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.09 | $2.83 | $11 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.03 | $0.27 | $8.09 | $32 | |
| Tasmania28.0c/kWh · TasNetworks | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.68 | $3 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.08 | $2.38 | $9 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.03 | $0.22 | $6.80 | $27 | |
| Australian Capital Territory37.0c/kWh · Evoenergy | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.90 | $4 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.10 | $3.15 | $12 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.04 | $0.30 | $8.99 | $35 | |
| Northern Territory31.7c/kWh · Power and Water | Efficient (10 W) | $0.00 | $0.03 | $0.77 | $3 |
| Typical (35 W) | $0.01 | $0.09 | $2.70 | $11 | |
| High (100 W) | $0.03 | $0.25 | $7.70 | $30 |
Where a ceiling fan costs more
- South Australia is the dearest state to run one: $14 a year at typical use on its 41.9c/kWh rate, a gap of $5 (52.6% more) over Victoria’s $9.
- By yearly running cost at typical use it ranks 26th of the 26 appliances costed on this site (1st costs the most): $11 a year at the NSW rate.
- An efficient 10 W model costs $10 a year less than a typical 35 W one in SA at 8 hours a day for 120 days ($7 less in VIC); a high-draw 100 W model uses 10 times the power of the efficient one.
- At the 1 July 2026 price reset, typical-use cost fell $1 in VIC (Jemena usage rate 29.7c to 27.5c/kWh).
| Rank | State | Usage rate | Typical year | Above the cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria | 27.5c | $9 | — |
| 2 | Tasmania | 28.0c | $9 | +$0 |
| 3 | Queensland | 28.0c | $9 | +$0 |
| 4 | Northern Territory | 31.7c | $11 | +$1 |
| 5 | New South Wales | 33.1c | $11 | +$2 |
| 6 | Western Australia | 33.3c | $11 | +$2 |
| 7 | Australian Capital Territory | 37.0c | $12 | +$3 |
| 8 | South Australia | 41.9c | $14 | +$5 |
Rates by state (each state's capital-city network): NSW: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); VIC: ESC Victorian Default Offer 2026–27; QLD: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); SA: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); WA: WA Government Standard Electricity Prices 2026–27 (Synergy Home Plan A1); TAS: OTTER-approved Aurora Energy Standing Offer 2026–27 (approved 25 June 2026) — Tariff 31; ACT: ICRC retail electricity price recalibration 2026–27 (ActewAGL standing offer); NT: NT Electricity Pricing Order 2026–27 (Jacana Energy standard residential). All effective 1 July 2026.
Appliance running-cost calculator
NSWCeiling fan: 10–100 W typical range.
Often 8+ h/day in summer; cheap enough to leave running.
- Per day (8 h)
- $0.09
- Per month
- $2.82
- Per year (120 days)
- $11.13
Tariff: 33.1c/kWh — AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8) for the Ausgrid network, effective 1 July 2026. Wattage basis: Bright Force Electrical — ceiling fan running costs. Full ceiling fan costs in NSW →
Cutting the cost
A fan cools people, not rooms, so switch it off when you leave. Set it to spin anticlockwise in summer to push air downward; that breeze lets you sit comfortably at a warmer air-conditioner set-point, which is where the real saving lives. Many models reverse for winter to draw warm air off the ceiling and mix it back into the room. It costs a fraction of what cooling does.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the running cost calculated?
- Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate = cost per hour. A ceiling fan drawing 35 W on NSW's 33.1c/kWh rate costs $0.01 an hour; the calculator below lets you change every input.
- Does a higher star rating cut the cost?
- Yes. The star rating compresses the power draw or energy per use, which scales these figures directly. The low–high band in the table (10–100 W) roughly spans efficient to inefficient models.
Related
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- All appliances
- Appliance calculator
- Bright Force Electrical — ceiling fan running costs
- State reference tariffs (per-zone determinations)verified
Costs use each state's representative-zone reference usage rate, effective 1 July 2026. Often 8+ h/day in summer; cheap enough to leave running.