This summer of 2023, European cities are crushed by a heat wave. In July, peaks of 40°C were recorded in Italy, Greece, Spain and also in France. Several departments have been placed on heat wave orange vigilance by Météo France. The situation is worrying. Linked to global warming, the phenomenon is about to become more frequent and intense.

So, even when the temperatures do not drop at night, all means are good to try to preserve your sleep and your health. Fans are thus part of the essentials to withstand the heat wave for many French people, particularly when their accommodation is not equipped with air conditioning. But, as Le Midi Libre points out, running your fan all night has a cost.

The cost of consuming a fan on for several hours depends on the power consumption of the device itself. The power of a fan varies between 50 and 200 watts. So, to calculate the energy cost for a whole night of time use, you have to refer to the average price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in France. According to EDF’s basic regulated tariff, in July 2023, the cost per kWh is 0.2062 euros.

According to the electricity price comparator Prix-Elec, the use of a fan over a year corresponds to an average of 13 hours per day for three months. So if a fan is left plugged in for 13 hours at a time and its power is 50 watts, it will cost you an average of 10 euros per year. If the device has a power of 200 watts, the cost is 50 euros per year. In other words, running your fan at night will cost you on average between 10 and 50 euros per year, depending on its power and the time it is used.