Every year, the average American spends about $1,500 on their heating and cooling bills, which is a steep price for comfort. But how do you cut down on your energy bill without freezing in the winter?
It might seem counterintuitive, but using a ceiling fan in winter can actually help keep you warm while whittling down your energy bill.
Keep reading to learn more.
Why You Should Use a Ceiling Fan in Winter
Do you run your heating system on high all day in the winter, but it feels like your home never gets warm? It’s probably because all the warm air is floating up and away from you. The air near the ceiling is the warmest in the room because warm air will always rise above cooler air.
Large rooms with high ceilings are hard to heat because of this. The further the ceiling is from you, the cooler the air around you will feel. Running a ceiling fan clockwise at its slowest speed can help.
Running your ceiling fan in a clockwise direction pushes that warm air upwards. Once it hits the ceiling, it has to change course so it will move out towards the walls and downward.
The air moves in an umbrella shape, with the fan drawing cool air upwards to displace the warm air which flows down the walls. As the fan runs, it will continue to circulate the warm air around the room in this pattern.
But How Does This Save Energy?
When you’re trying to save energy, running a fan in winter might seem like an additional power drain and not a way to save. However, if you recirculate the warm air in your home with a fan, you won’t need to run your heating system as often or as strongly.
The energy efficiency comes from reducing the use of your HVAC system, which takes more energy to run than a fan. Turning your fan on will use electricity, but not as much as you save by lowering your thermostat.
How Your Fan Works in the Summer
If a clockwise fan helps warm a room by pushing warm air outwards, how does a counterclockwise fan work? When you run a fan counterclockwise, it pushes air down towards you. This causes a windchill effect, which makes you feel cooler than the air around you.
There are lots of ways to save energy in the summer.
Switching your fan direction with the seasons can keep you comfortable without straining your budget or your HVAC system. Keeping your fan running means you can lower your air conditioning a few degrees. Just like in the winter, the energy savings from lowering your HVAC use will be greater than the energy spent on running the ceiling fan.
If running your ceiling fan in winter isn’t getting you all the energy savings you need, you might need to clean out your HVAC system or schedule a maintenance appointment.
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