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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Bathroom Exhaust Fan in the US? (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 $0.005 per hour, or about $0.16 per month at 1 hours a day in United States (average). Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (10 W) | $0.002 | $0.002 | $0.054 | $0.66 |
| Typical (30 W) | $0.005 | $0.005 | $0.16 | $1.97 |
| High (80 W) | $0.014 | $0.014 | $0.43 | $5.26 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 1 h/day ≈ 11 kWh per year.
In the US, with electricity at $0.18 per kWh (source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, 2026-06), a typical bathroom exhaust fan costs $0.005 per hour and about $1.97 per year at 1 hours a day. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 185.2 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
- United States (average)
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Canada (average)
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Australia
- India