How Much Does It Cost to Run a Portable Fan (Box or Pedestal) in New Brunswick? (2026)
Box fans and pedestal fans are among the cheapest ways to feel cooler. A typical 40 to 50 watt fan running all evening costs less than a single cup of coffee per month.
A typical portable fan (box or pedestal) (50 W) costs C$0.008 per hour, or about C$1.99 per month at 8 hours a day in New Brunswick. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 20 W | C$0.003 | C$0.027 | C$0.80 | C$3.19 |
| Typical 50 W | C$0.008 | C$0.066 | C$1.99 | C$7.97 |
| High 100 W | C$0.017 | C$0.13 | C$3.99 | C$15.95 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day for about 120 days a year (the cooling season) ≈ 48 kWh per year.
One day of a portable fan (box or pedestal) (1.2 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 6.7km in an electric car
- 12hours of TV
- 27hours of a laptop
- 133hours of an LED bulb
In New Brunswick, with electricity at 16.6¢ per kWh (source: Hydro-Québec 2025 comparison, 2025-04), a typical portable fan (box or pedestal) costs C$0.008 per hour and about C$7.97 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 19% more than the national average for Canada (C$1.68 per month), because electricity in New Brunswick costs 16.6¢ per kWh against 14.0¢ nationally. Each C$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 120.4 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a portable fan (box or pedestal)
- Point a fan out of a window at night to push hot air out and pull cooler air in.
- Use the lowest speed that keeps you comfortable. High speed can double the draw.
- Turn it off when leaving the room. Fans cool people, not spaces.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a fan all night?
A 50 watt fan for 8 hours uses 0.4 kWh, a few cents in most regions.
Is a tower fan more efficient than a box fan?
Box fans generally move more air per watt. Tower fans are quieter and take less floor space.
Does a fan use more electricity than a ceiling fan?
Similar. Both sit in the 15 to 100 watt range depending on size and speed.
Compare with
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
- Electric Blanket100 W typical
- Heat Pump (Ducted or Mini-Split)2,000 W typical
- Baseboard Heater1,500 W typical
- Evaporative (Swamp) Cooler300 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz