The best low consumption fans to beat the heat | IE energy (2023)

Ah, British Summer Time. It's glorious, it's exhilarating and often a shock to the system after a long, dreary winter!

If you're struggling with the sudden onset of the UK's recent heatwave, you might want to consider investing in an electric fan. But what kind of fan cools your entire room? How much electricity will you use and increase your bills? And is a fan right for you, or should you invest in air conditioning?

To find the answers to all these questions, dive into our guide to buying the right energy efficient fan for your home. Plus: We have put together tips on how to save electricity when saving electricity!

How to choose the best fan for your home

Fan technology is so advanced these days that you might be surprised by all the options when shopping. Pun intended!

If you're overwhelmed with options, here are some tips to help you figure things out.

When and where will you use your fan?

First things first: Think about what you want from your fan. Do you need more wind when you work at your desk in the afternoon? Or are you looking for something that can refresh your entire room while you sleep at night?

Knowing the answers to these questions can help you determine which type of fan is right for you. For example, if you are looking for a bedroom fan, you may need something powerful but quiet. Or if you plan to use it in multiple rooms, you might want to consider a more portable model.

How much power does your fan need?

Consider how much space you need to stay cool. The larger the space you work in, the more powerful the fan you need.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a desk fan, a powerful explosion could disrupt your workspace.

What additional functions should your fan have?

Let us help you reduce it.

1. Silent environment

Looking for a quiet fan that can do thisstay coolwhile getting some sleep at the same time?

Keep an eye out for fans who have "silent" or "silent" in their names. Some have special nighttime settings, including the option to play white noise to help you fall asleep.

2. Timer

If your main concern is an energy-efficient fan, you should definitely look for one with a timer. This means you can instruct the fan to turn off automatically after it has finished its work for an hour or two.

This way there is no risk of accidentally leaving the fan on while you are away or sleeping through the night.

3. Vibration

Fans that oscillate (move from side to side) are better at moving air around a room than just cooling a specific spot.

The good news is that most fans, even the cheapest ones, should have this feature!

4. Various speed settings

It is important to be able to choose the fan speed. So you can make your room really cool without feeling like you're in a hurricane!

Again, most fans should have at least a few speeds to choose from. But the more you pay, the more options you have.

5. Remote control

Want to control your fan without leaving your seat? Many newer models come with a remote control so you can turn them on and off from your seat. Blessing.

6. warm up

It might seem strange to think about when buying a fan that can cool you down, but there are many options on the market that can both heat and cool a space.

Looking for other heating solutions?Read our guide to buying energy efficient heating.

7. Air purification

For those with a bit more budget, air cleaning fans offer a 2-in-1 service: they clean the air in your room, removing all fine particles and circulating fresh air, just like a regular fan. Good news for allergy sufferers!

8. Security

Do you have small children or pets running around your house?

A fan without blades or with additional safety measures might be right for you. So you don't have to worry about getting your fingers or paws caught in the rotating blades!

Types of home fans

Stand fans

This is the classic fan. It is a freestanding floor fan and usually comes with an adjustable stand and the ability to oscillate to cool the entire room. It's simple but gets the job done effectively.

• Advantages of pedestal fans:They're easy to use, better for cooling large spaces, and generally inexpensive too.
• Disadvantages of two pedestal fans:can be noisy and take up more space than a slim tower fan

Turm fans

Tower fans have become increasingly popular in recent years.

Unlike the typical standing fans, they are long and thin, like the tower that gives them their name. This allows them to be easily installed in any room without taking up too much space. Many of them also have additional state-of-the-art features.

• Advantages of tower fans:Tower fans are stylish, safe and quiet, and often offer more features than a pedestal fan.
• Disadvantages of two tower fans:its cool design (sorry) means tower fans can be more expensive. And they're not that good at cooling large rooms, either.

Tischfans

Work from home?Then this is for you.

Desk fans are small versions of fans that offer enough cooling power to feel a breeze on your face while you work.

• Advantages of table fans:They're cheap and cheerful, and their compact size means you can take them anywhere.
• Disadvantages of two table fans:A table fan only cools a small area, not an entire room

floor fans

Pedestal fans are like pedestal fans, but instead of having a long, adjustable stand, the fan sits on the floor. Buying one of these will have you feeling like a pop star at a concert with the wind blowing through your hair!

• Advantages of pedestal fans:cold air sits closer to the floor so you're moving cooler air around the room with a lower fan, that's what makes it really effective!
• Disadvantages of pedestal fans:Design is not recommended if you have pets or children as the rotating blades are close to the ground

ceiling fans

Ceiling fans can be an impressive design feature of a room all year round. Sometimes they also serve as lighting fixtures and are a way to send a gentle breeze through a room.

Another point to keep in mind: surprisingly, they also help warm your home in winter. That's because they can recirculate hot air trapped under the ceiling into a heated room!

• Advantages of ceiling fans:Match your bedroom design and won't take up space
• Disadvantages of ceiling fans:They aren't generally adjustable or portable like other fans on this list.

Fan without blades

If you're a tech geek, you want a high tech geek.

Bladeless fans, sometimes called air multipliers, are the most innovative fans on the market. They're a bit like vacuum cleaners working in reverse. Instead of sucking in air, they blow it into the room.

The concept was first tested by Toshiba in the early 1980s, but British scientist James Dyson (of vacuum cleaner fame) was the first to invent a bladeless consumer fan in 2009.¹. Dyson still dominates the market for this particular type of air cooler today!

• Advantages of bladeless fans:They are safe, quiet and super effective
• Disadvantages of bladeless fans:You have to spend more money than for a conventional fan with blades

Is there a fan to blow fresh air?

Fans do not produce cold air by themselves. They only move air through a room. This creates the illusion that the room has cooled down because you feel cooler in it. This is because the breeze evaporates moisture as it brushes your skin, leaving you feeling refreshed.

Meanwhile, air conditioners (or air coolers) absorb heat while blowing cool air into a room. It really changes the temperature. Sometimes you can buy multifunctional fans that also have a built-in air conditioner or cooler.

Air conditioners tend to be more expensive, both in terms of initial and running costs. In fact, fans consume about 1% of the electricity used by air conditioners. That means you run a fan for 24 hours and use the same amount of energy as the air conditioner does for 15 minutes.².

But if you're dealing with temperatures above 35°C, one fan may not be enough. Read our guide on how to do thisFind an energy efficient air conditioner that won't harm the environment (or your bank account)..

Does putting ice in front of a fan work?

Do you want to do without the cooling effect of an air conditioner?increase in your electricity bill?

Try an ice blower. It won't be as effective as air conditioning, but it will give your fan a cooling effect!

Simply place a bowl of ice and ice water in front of the fan. The movement of the blades disperses small drops of ice water throughout the room, which will be glorious when they hit your skin!

If you're looking for more ideas on how to beat the heat this summer,Read this guide to 18 essential ways to refresh your home.

How much electricity does a fan use?

In general, the fans are beautiful.efficient energy, and much cheaper to operate than air conditioners. The exact amount of electricity your fan uses depends on the type of fan you have. To be on the safe side, check the performance of your fan.

According to a study by This is Money, most home fans use between 25 and 75 watts.

This means running a fan costs between £0.004 and £0.012 per hour. For a full week of 12 hours of daily use, this wouldn't add more than £1 to your bills³. You might think that's not an amount worth sweating over!

5 tips to use your fan efficiently

1. Use the timer settings:As tempting as it is to leave the fan running all night, once you sleep you'll likely need it less. Save energy by using the timer to turn it off automatically after a few hours.
2. Don't keep us waiting:Like other devices, fans canconsumes a small amount of Vampiric Power while attached, so turn them off when not in use.
3. Use a slower speed:Of course, choosing a lower speed setting means using less power.
4. Place fans strategically:You can create a satisfying cross-breeze through the home by positioning a fan so it faces the window. This may sound strange, but it works by drawing in cooler air from outside and expelling warmer air! You can enhance the effect by placing another fan facing the room.Learn more about this technique in our guide to keeping your home cool this summer.
5. Keep fans clean:As your fan circulates the air, it collects all of the dust and other particles that are floating around the room. To keep it running efficiently, it is important to clean it from time to time.

Some of the best energy efficient fans for cooling down your bedroom

Here is a selection of some of the most energy efficient fans you can buy for your home.

This list was compiled with input from the good folks atTop-Ten-Initiative, which provides information on the most energy efficient household appliances. You crunched the numbers to find out how much energy each home fan uses (and how much you'd likely spend to power it).in the next 15 years!).

Bester Turmventilator: Tristar VE-5905

This sleek white fan keeps your entire room cool and tucks away discreetly in a corner. It has 3 speed levels and a handy timer that can be set up to 120 minutes. This makes it doubly energy efficient because you'll never forget to turn it off!

At 30W it has the power to keep you cool without using as much power as other tower fans.

Find out more about the Tristar VE-5905.

**Best Standing Fan:Honeywell HS-216E4**

Honeywell is one of the most trusted brands in the fan market, and TopTen rates its high-performance pedestal fan as one of the most affordable.

With over 15 years of use it could cost as little as £38 in utility bills. That's just over £2.50 a year. Worth it to save you 15 sweaty summers!

Learn more about the Honeywell HS-216E4.

Best Bladeless Fan: Dyson AM07

If you've got the cash to spare, this Dyson bladeless fan is a stylish way to ensure fresh, clean air is circulating around your room.

Find out more about the Dyson AM07.

Best ceiling fan: CasaFan Eco Genuino 152

Are you looking for a more permanent fixture to add some movement to your living room?

It's a bit more expensive to install, but this energy-efficient ceiling fan has an output of just 4W (and up to 29W). That means you can keep it updated for just £1.70 a year.

Find out more about CasaFan Eco Genuino 152.

Best Desktop Fan: AEG VL 5528

This classic black table fan is incredibly cheap to run. According to TopTen, this should cost an average of £17 on your electricity bill over the next 15 years.

It has 2 speed settings and offers the option of wall mounting it if you are short on desk space.

Find out more about the AEG VL5528.

Choose OVO Energy to power your home with green energy

Would you like to take care of your home 100%?renewable electricity⁴, support tree planting across the UK and learn more about tackling the climate crisis?

Choose OVO as your energy provider and you will get:

• A tree planted in your name every year when you are with us⁵
• 3-5% interest premium if your account has a balance⁶
• access toEI green lightfor free energy saving tips
• An Award-Winning Smart Meter Experience (Uswitch 2020)
• Every time you receive a £50 gift cardintroduce a friend

Check out our range of plansand see how much you can save.

Sources and references:

1https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/6377644/Dyson-fan-was-it-invented-30-years-hace.html

2https://www.reviewed.com/home-outdoors/features/air-conditioners-vs-fans-what-is-right-for-your-home

3https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/cuánta-electricidad-los-ventiladores-usan-12973554

4 100% of the renewable electricity we sell is backed by Renewable Energy Origin Assurance Certificates (REGOs). To seeHereDetails on renewable energy certificates of origin and how they work. Some of the electricity we sell is also sourced directly from renewable generators in the UK.

5 Each year, OVO plants 1 tree for each partner in the alliance with theforest trust. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so planting trees helps slow climate change.

6 Interest premiums are paid on the balances of customers who pay by monthly direct debit. It is 3% in the first year, 4% in the second year and 5% in the third year (and every year thereafter) if you pay by direct debit.