With the weather turning warm across Britain and summer on the horizon, households are starting to think about the cost of cooling their homes again. 

But with energy prices higher than a few years ago, the cost of running devices that aim to cool us down is more of a consideration. 

So how much does it really cost to run a desktop or pedestal fan, more modern air cooler devices and domestic air conditioning units?

Running a typical desktop fan for 24 hours costs 23p – or just a shade under 1p an hour – according to data from comparison website Uswitch. 

Meanwhile, a standard pedestal fan costs about 39p to run for a full 24-hour period, the data added – or roughly 1.6p an hour.

It’s time: Households are starting to think about the cost of cooling their homes again

An air cooler typically costs around 49p when running for 24 hours in one room, so just a nudge over 2p an hour.

The energy usage involved to run a portable air conditioning unit is considerably higher, meaning the cost of running one for 24 hours is around £6.49, Uswitch says. 

The cost of running a built-in air conditioning unit is even higher, at £17.52 for a 24-hour period. 

The costs were calculated using the current price cap rates, Uswitch said.  

Natalie Mathie, an energy expert at Uswitch, said: ‘Desktop fans don’t use much energy, and keeping one running for 24 hours a day would only set you back 23p.

‘By comparison, running a 1kW portable air con unit for the same amount of time would cost you £6.49 – so the bill can quickly add up on hot days.’ 

There have been 54million searches on comparison website Google across Britain for fans in the past month, according to figures from Electric Radiators Direct this week.

How to keep the cost of running a fan down 

There are a number of ways to help keep the cost of running a fan on hot days down. 

Stephen Hankinson, an energy efficiency expert at Electric Radiators Direct, said: ‘The good news is that fans have become more energy efficient in recent years.’

Many fans now have an eco-setting, which can help reduce the cost of running the fan. 

Mathie adds: ‘Placing a bowl of ice cubes in front of an electric fan will also lower the temperature of the air being blown around the room. 

‘This might cool you down faster, so you don’t need to keep the fan on for as long.’   

Using a fan with a number of running speeds available could also help reduce your fan’s energy usage. You won’t always need the top speed running. 

You can also get fans with timers. Rather than just having the fan on all the time in hot weather, you can set the fan to be on for a limited period.  

Hankinson does not recommend leaving a fan running in a room while no one is in it, even if you think it might help lower the room’s temperature for a longer period. 

He told This is Money: ‘Having a fan on when you are not in the room is pointless. 

‘It may feel like they ‘cool’ a space, but most fans can’t actually change a room’s temperature and only make the room feel colder, by moving the air around. 

‘It’s the breeze they create that brings some relief in hot weather.

‘If you only use your fan when you are in the room, you will the reduce running costs of running the fan. 

‘The rest of your house won’t be worse off or warmer for doing this either.’ 

You may also want to avoid having the oscillating function on a fan running all the time.  

Hankinson said: ‘When using the oscillating function of a fan, keep in mind that it will use slightly more energy too, so if you are in one spot for a while and want the fan directly aimed at you then it may be worth switching the oscillating function off to reduce energy usage.

‘In general, it is definitely worth only keeping these devices switched on when you need them, using a low power setting if you can, and also looking at the wattage of the fan you have bought so you’re not faced with a nasty shock when your energy bills arrives.’ 

It is also worth making sure you clean your fan regularly to keep it running efficiently. 

Aside from using fans or air conditioning units, keep curtains and blinds closed on hot days. 

According to Dyson, up to 30 per cent of ‘unwanted heat gain’ comes from windows.