🩺 Personal Care & Health
How Much Does a Bathroom Exhaust Fan Cost to Run?
At the current U.S. average rate of 18.3¢/kWh (July 2026), a bathroom exhaust fan costs about $0.33 per month at typical usage — 2 hours/day.
Per hour
0.5¢
at 15–60 W
Per day
1.1¢
2 hours/day
Per month
$0.33
1.8 kWh
Per year
$4.01
22 kWh
Bath fans draw 15–60 watts. Running one for 20 minutes after showers costs almost nothing and prevents the mold and moisture damage that actually gets expensive — but in winter, every hour it runs also exhausts air your heater already paid to warm.
Calculate it for your home
Per hour
0.5¢
Per day
1.1¢
Per month
$0.33
Per year
$4.01
Uses 1.8 kWh/month at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Cheapest and most expensive states
Monthly cost at typical usage, using each state's current average residential rate.
Cost in every state
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Per hour | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.7 | 0.4¢ | $0.23 | $2.78 |
| Nevada | 12.8 | 0.4¢ | $0.23 | $2.80 |
| Utah | 13.1 | 0.4¢ | $0.24 | $2.87 |
| North Dakota | 13.4 | 0.4¢ | $0.24 | $2.93 |
| Idaho | 13.7 | 0.4¢ | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Tennessee | 13.7 | 0.4¢ | $0.25 | $3.00 |
| Kentucky | 13.8 | 0.4¢ | $0.25 | $3.02 |
| Nebraska | 13.8 | 0.4¢ | $0.25 | $3.02 |
| Arkansas | 14.3 | 0.4¢ | $0.26 | $3.13 |
| Oklahoma | 14.4 | 0.4¢ | $0.26 | $3.15 |
| Wyoming | 14.4 | 0.4¢ | $0.26 | $3.15 |
| Mississippi | 14.5 | 0.4¢ | $0.26 | $3.18 |
| Washington | 14.7 | 0.4¢ | $0.27 | $3.22 |
| Florida | 15.0 | 0.4¢ | $0.27 | $3.28 |
| Montana | 15.0 | 0.4¢ | $0.27 | $3.28 |
| North Carolina | 15.2 | 0.5¢ | $0.28 | $3.33 |
| Kansas | 15.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.28 | $3.35 |
| Arizona | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.28 | $3.37 |
| South Dakota | 15.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.28 | $3.37 |
| South Carolina | 15.5 | 0.5¢ | $0.28 | $3.39 |
| West Virginia | 15.8 | 0.5¢ | $0.29 | $3.46 |
| Texas | 15.9 | 0.5¢ | $0.29 | $3.48 |
| Iowa | 16.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.29 | $3.50 |
| Oregon | 16.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.29 | $3.50 |
| Missouri | 16.1 | 0.5¢ | $0.29 | $3.53 |
| New Mexico | 16.1 | 0.5¢ | $0.29 | $3.53 |
| Georgia | 16.3 | 0.5¢ | $0.30 | $3.57 |
| Alabama | 16.4 | 0.5¢ | $0.30 | $3.59 |
| Indiana | 16.7 | 0.5¢ | $0.30 | $3.66 |
| Colorado | 17.0 | 0.5¢ | $0.31 | $3.72 |
| Minnesota | 17.5 | 0.5¢ | $0.32 | $3.83 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | 0.5¢ | $0.32 | $3.85 |
| Delaware | 18.5 | 0.6¢ | $0.34 | $4.05 |
| Wisconsin | 19.1 | 0.6¢ | $0.35 | $4.18 |
| Illinois | 19.2 | 0.6¢ | $0.35 | $4.20 |
| Ohio | 19.5 | 0.6¢ | $0.36 | $4.27 |
| Maryland | 21.4 | 0.6¢ | $0.39 | $4.69 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7 | 0.7¢ | $0.40 | $4.75 |
| Michigan | 23.1 | 0.7¢ | $0.42 | $5.06 |
| Vermont | 23.8 | 0.7¢ | $0.43 | $5.21 |
| Connecticut | 24.2 | 0.7¢ | $0.44 | $5.30 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.2 | 0.8¢ | $0.46 | $5.52 |
| New Jersey | 25.2 | 0.8¢ | $0.46 | $5.52 |
| New Hampshire | 26.6 | 0.8¢ | $0.49 | $5.83 |
| Rhode Island | 28.3 | 0.8¢ | $0.52 | $6.20 |
| Alaska | 28.8 | 0.9¢ | $0.53 | $6.31 |
| New York | 29.9 | 0.9¢ | $0.55 | $6.55 |
| Massachusetts | 30.5 | 0.9¢ | $0.56 | $6.68 |
| Maine | 32.4 | 1.0¢ | $0.59 | $7.10 |
| California | 33.6 | 1.0¢ | $0.61 | $7.36 |
| Hawaii | 48.0 | 1.4¢ | $0.88 | $10.51 |
How to lower the cost
- Heat-producing devices (dryers, irons, beds) dominate this category — minutes of use, not watts, drive cost.
- Medical devices that run all night or all day may qualify for utility medical-rate discounts — ask your provider.
- Chargers left plugged in draw almost nothing on modern hardware; focus on bigger loads.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a bathroom exhaust fan use?
A typical bathroom exhaust fan draws about 30 watts in use. At 2 hours/day, that works out to roughly 0.1 kWh per day, or 1.8 kWh per month.
How much does it cost to run a bathroom exhaust fan for 1 hour?
At the current U.S. average residential rate of 18.3¢/kWh, one hour costs about 0.5¢. In Louisiana (12.7¢/kWh) it's 0.4¢, while in Hawaii (48¢/kWh) it's 1.4¢.
How much does a bathroom exhaust fan cost to run per month?
With typical usage (2 hours/day), expect about $0.33 per month at the U.S. average rate — from $0.23 in Louisiana up to $0.88 in Hawaii. Rates are as of July 2026.
Does a bathroom exhaust fan use a lot of electricity?
Not really — at typical usage it's under 1% of an average home's monthly consumption. Heating, cooling, hot water, and drying are the loads that move bills.