Stay cool and save energy with the smart use of ceiling fans.

Do ceiling fans save you money on your utility bills? The answer is, "If used correctly they will."

The purpose of a ceiling fan in the summer is to blow air across your body. When this happens it evaporates perspiration on your skin which makes you feel cooler. So you want to make sure the ceiling fan is blowing air down onto your body.

There is usually a switch on the base of the fan, the large circular part above the blades, that changes the fan’s direction. So if you don’t feel the air blowing on you or if you’re like me and just never too sure if it’s spinning right, then wait until the fan stops and move the switch to get it rotating in the opposite direction and compare.

A fun trick to do with your kids is to go through the house with a bottle of bubbles and as you turn on the fans have your son or daughter blow bubbles; if they start moving downward you’ve got it right! If the thought of spending more time with your kids is too much to bear, skip this step.

Ceiling fans consume energy so to use them smartly follow these few simple tips:

• Turn them off when you leave the room. Fans don’t create cold air and cool rooms, they cool you. A fan just blows the existing temperature air around. It is the evaporation of moisture off your skin from the movement of air that causes the cooling effect you feel. So if you leave it on when no one is in the room you are just wasting energy and increasing your utility bills.
• With a fan running you can turn the temperature up a degree or two to save money since the cooling effect from the fan will keep you comfortable at a higher temperature.
• Keep the fan on the lowest speed possible that keeps you satisfied. The faster the fan spins the more the motor has to work and the more energy it consumes.

Ceiling fans can save you money but not if you use them like most of us, leaving them run all day long to “cool” the house (which we now know isn’t true). Follow the tips above and you’ll start seeing a difference in your monthly electric bill.

Looking for more Energy Savings Tips? Check back soon!

- The Reluctant Tree Hugger

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