# What's cheaper? Thermostat on 76 and the fans on or **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683 "2025-05-22T22:07:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/1 "2025-05-22T22:07:32Z")
What’s cheaper? Thermostat on 76 and the fans on? Or thermostat set at 72 with no fans on? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/2 "2025-05-22T22:09:29Z")
Are you talking about a place with central air, or one with room air conditioners? But as a general rule, fans are always cheaper than an AC compressor. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/3 "2025-05-22T22:14:27Z")
Depends on whether you’re heating to 72 or cooling to 72. You also are making the assumption (or assertion) that 76 w fans and 72 wo fans are equally comfortable. Which they might or might not be. Certainly not if multiple people are involved. Or multiple locations in a typical multi-room house. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/4 "2025-05-22T22:15:33Z")
Completely impossible to make a determination with the parameters given. What’s the outside temperature? What would the duty cycle of your HVAC need to be to maintain 76? How much power does it take when it’s running? How much power do your fans take? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/5 "2025-05-22T22:17:45Z")
I don’t see how running fans can be more power intensive than running AC. An oscillating fan is about 70 watts, an air conditioner is over a thousand watts. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/6 "2025-05-22T22:18:32Z")
Because - the A/C isn’t running all the time. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/7 "2025-05-22T22:22:28Z")
Which is more _comfortable_? I’d bet on the fans option. And yeah would be shocked if the math worked out for any realistic set of parameters that the fan was not cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/8 "2025-05-22T22:29:07Z")
This is for summer time. If I keep my thermostat set at 72 the AC is going to be working harder and longer. But I won’t need to turn any fans on. If I keep it at 76 the AC works less but now I’m running the fans to be comfortable. I’m not talking about either or ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/9 "2025-05-22T22:31:55Z")
It’s a decent bet that if you get the same subjective comfort from each arrangement, running the fans is the cheaper choice. Of course there is no reason to run fans except in the room(s) occupied at that instant moment by people. Like lights, turn them on when entering and off when leaving. At least for cooling season, if you’re not feeling the breeze from the fan, it’s not doing anything helpful; The idea that moving air is cooler air is simply wrong. What matters is air blowing across your skin, and only your skin. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/10 "2025-05-22T22:33:23Z")
Of course I’m not going to be running any fans that are not pointed directly at me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/11 "2025-05-22T22:35:21Z")
To me “fans” means ceiling fans. Which around here many people turn on when they move in and never turn them off until they’ve moved out umpteen years later. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/12 "2025-05-22T22:48:14Z")
Well, in that case, there’s little question that using the fan will be cheaper. I was thinking that you were talking about the HVAC fan, which can be quite the energy hog. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/13 "2025-05-22T22:53:42Z")
Now _we_ keep the HVAC running continuously… because our old house is very uneven, hot upstairs while cool on the first floor… and we are hoping to redistribute it a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/14 "2025-05-23T00:41:42Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > This is for summer time. Define “summertime.” Is your typical maximum temperature around 80 degrees with low humidity, 90 degrees with high humidity, or 100 degrees and humidity is irrelevant? Your air conditioner also acts as a dehumidifier. Where I live, no amount of fans can make humidity feel comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/15 "2025-05-23T01:22:18Z")
So let’s use a hypothetical like where you live. AC on set either 72 or 76. I’ll make up a sticky weather scenario: 85 degrees and 73% humidity outside. A smallish house. How much different _would_ inside air humidity be cooled to 72 vs 76? How much difference in power use by the AC unit for a typically constructed home? A modern ceiling fan is fairly little electricity draw. It will be on only in the occupied room. A central AC unit running is a big power draw cooling down an entire home. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/16 "2025-05-23T01:40:48Z")
I can’t imagine it’s cheaper to run the AC more. On the other hand, I would run the AC more. Because _I_ would find that a lot more comfortable. But I’d probably compromise at 74, not 72, even though 72 is nicer. But I don’t like fans. I don’t like the sound of fans that actually produce a breeze. And the ceiling ones feel like a flickering light to me and kinda freak me out. I wonder if they give anyone siezures. Last time I played duplicate bridge at a friend’s house who had a ceiling fan going in my field of view, I got a massive headache and finally just refused to play until someone turned it off. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/17 "2025-05-23T02:28:31Z")
If someone cooled my place to 76 I’d get out my parka. 72 is for hanging meat, not for living in. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/18 "2025-05-23T13:07:12Z")
Man, these temps blow my mind. I keep it on 78, and I still have to wear sweats! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-cheaper-thermostat-on-76-and-the-fans-on-or/1018683/19 "2025-05-23T13:49:19Z")
Another question for the OP is whether they’re in a humid climate or a dry one. What works for comfort in summer in e.g. Phoenix is not the same as in Chicago or Miami.