Will an Attic Fan Save Me Money on My Energy Utility Bill?

The summer heat is only getting worse, and along with it, energy prices are skyrocketing. It’s not uncommon for Americans to ask themselves, “Do I want to be comfortable and cool or save money?”, thanks to the high utility costs.

While air conditioning does use up a lot of energy, there are ways you can reduce how much energy it uses and thereby stay cool this summer without hurting your wallet.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to save money on your energy bill is to use an attic fan.

How Do Attic Fans Save Money on Energy Utility Bills?
The simple answer to the question, “Will an Attic Fan Save Me Money on My Energy Utility Bill?”, is yes. And it’s all thanks to how attic fans operate.

Attic fans, similar to their larger cousins, the whole house fan, pull in outdoor air and exhaust indoor air. As everyone who’s ever been in an attic that’s not air-conditioned or well-ventilated during the summer heat, attics can get dangerously hot.

The main reason is that hot air rises and when it has nowhere to go, the heat accumulates, creating a very hot attic. Now, if you have an unfinished attic that you don’t use, you may think, “What’s the big deal? Who cares if the attic is hot?” Well, there are actually several reasons a hot, unventilated attic is bad…

  • Rot: Not only will heat accumulate, but so will moisture, leading to rot that will cause structural damage in result in costly repairs.
  • Mold and mildew: Heat and moisture are the perfect environment for mold and mildew to set in, causing more damage to your home.
  • Ice dams: In the winter, trapped air can cause ice dams on the roof that wreak havoc on the roof and lead to leaks.
  • Higher energy costs: Lastly, an unventilated attic will heat up the rest of your home. The heat will seep through from your attic floor to the ceiling of your home and heat up any rooms that share a ceiling with your attic. If you use air conditioning, then your AC will have to work even harder to fight the heat seeping out of your attic, resulting in more energy being used and a higher utility bill.

Attic Fans: The Solution to Lower Utility Bills
By using an attic fan, you can keep your attic cool and dry, preventing future repairs and reducing the burden on your AC to keep your utility bills down. All you have to do is run your attic fan for an hour every night when temperatures drop to ensure that heat doesn’t build up in your attic day to day. Then, when you run your AC, it won’t be fighting the heat from the attic to keep the rest of the house cool and comfortable.

Some attic fans, like the Smart Energy Saver Attic Gable Fan AFG SMT ES-3.0, are equipped with bluetooth and can be controlled through the Quiet Cool app.  This app allows you to operate the fan from anywhere in your home. You can set the timer and speed to customize  according to your needs. What’s more is that you can see your attic’s temperature and humidity with the app.