How Much Does It Cost to Run a Bathroom Exhaust Fan in Rhode Island? (2026)
Bathroom fans are tiny loads, typically 10 to 80 watts. The bigger cost is the heated or cooled air they pull out of the house, so run them long enough to clear steam and no longer.
A typical bathroom exhaust fan (30 W) costs $0.009 per hour, or about $0.26 per month at 1 hour a day in Rhode Island. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 10 W | $0.003 | $0.003 | $0.088 | $1.07 |
| Typical 30 W | $0.009 | $0.009 | $0.26 | $3.20 |
| High 80 W | $0.023 | $0.023 | $0.70 | $8.54 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 1 h/day ≈ 11 kWh per year.
One day of a bathroom exhaust fan (0.72 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 4.0km in an electric car
- 7.2hours of TV
- 16hours of a laptop
- 80hours of an LED bulb
In Rhode Island, with electricity at 29.2¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical bathroom exhaust fan costs $0.009 per hour and about $3.20 per year at 1 hour a day. That is about 59% more than the national average for the US ($0.17 per month), because electricity in Rhode Island costs 29.2¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 114.0 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a bathroom exhaust fan
- Run it for 20 minutes after a shower, then off. A timer switch pays for itself.
- Choose a fan with an integrated humidity sensor.
- Clean the grille. Dust cuts airflow and makes it run longer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a bathroom fan all day?
A 30 watt fan for 24 hours uses 0.72 kWh, plus the cost of replacing the conditioned air it removes.
Should I leave the bathroom fan on all night?
No. Twenty to thirty minutes after a shower is enough.
Do bathroom fans use a lot of electricity?
No. Even continuous use is around 20 kWh a month.
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Hair Dryer1,800 W typical
- Hair Straightener60 W typical
- Electric Toothbrush Charger1 W typical
- Heated Towel Rail150 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz