WattCostCalc

Attic Ventilation Fan vs Portable Air Conditioner: Which Costs Less to Run?

Using typical wattage and daily use, an attic ventilation fan costs about $9.45 per month, compared with $30.24 for a portable air conditioner. That is a gap of $20.79 a month at $0.175/kWh.

Side by side

Attic Ventilation FanPortable Air Conditioner
Power300 W1,200 W
Hours per day68
Cost per hour$0.053$0.126
Cost per day$0.315$1.01
Cost per week$2.21$7.06
Cost per month$9.45$30.24
Cost per year$114.98$367.92
Energy per year657 kWh2,102 kWh

Based on $0.175 per kWh (US average).

Which should you choose?

These two appliances do different jobs, so the cheaper one is not automatically the better choice. The figures use typical wattage, typical daily hours and the share of time each runs at full power.

Want your own numbers? Open either calculator and enter your hours and rate: Attic Ventilation Fan or Portable Air Conditioner.

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