3 days ago
The best type of fan for cooling down your home revealed
AS the hot weather continues, keeping your home cool can feel like a challenge.
But experts agree that oscillating fans are the best option for spreading cooler air effectively.
1
Unlike stationary fans, oscillating fans move from side to side, circulating air across a wider area.
Experts at Ovo Energy have long said oscillating fans are the best choice for keeping rooms cool.
This is because they circulate air across the entire room, rather than concentrating on one specific area.
Meanwhile Katie Lilywhite, air treatment expert at also agrees.
She said: "When you're using your fan to cool down your home this summer, it's far better to have it oscillating than running it still.
"Oscillating fans help spread air across a larger space, making it easier to cool down the entire room."
Whether you're trying to sleep through the heat, work comfortably, or relax at home, an oscillating fan ensures a steady flow of air reaches you wherever you are.
This makes them ideal for bedrooms, living rooms, and even home offices.
If you're looking for a fan that's affordable, there are plenty of options.
Most fans now have an oscillating feature, but it's worth checking before you buy.
We've trawled through online retailers to find the best deals on a host of fans - and there are plenty of bargains to be had - and prices start at £1.50.
Meanwhile, we've revealed four of the best ways to bag a Dyson fan for less.
You can of course, search for dupes, such as Lidl's £70 alternative.
But if you have your heart set on the real deal, then it may be worth checking out these offers to avoid paying full price.
Plus, read out ultimate guide on keeping cool this summer.
JUST because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn't mean it's always a good deal.
There are plenty of comparison websites out there that'll check prices for you - so don't be left paying more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.
Here are some that we recommend:
Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.
Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.
Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers. All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one.
CamelCamelCamel only works on goods being sold on Amazon. To use it, type in the URL of the product you want to check the price of.
How much energy does a fan use?
First you'll need to work out how much electricity your fan uses.
You can do this by finding out its "wattage", which will tell you how much power it uses.
Then you need to find the total output you will have to turn that wattage into kilowatt hours.
You will need to do some maths here.
To convert watts into kilowatts, you divide the wattage by 1,000.
For example, if your fan uses 70 watts, dividing 70 by 1,000 gives 0.07 kilowatts (kW).
Then you'll need to multiply this number by the number of hours you've used the fan.
For example, if you use the fan for 12 hours, the calculation is 0.07 kW x 12 hours = 0.84 kWh.
Once you've calculated your fan's energy usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh), multiply this by the cost per kWh as stated on your energy bill.
Electricity prices vary across the UK, so check your energy bill for the exact price per kWh.
According to the July 2025 Ofgem price cap, the maximum rate for those on the standard variable tariff is 25.73p per kWh.
Based on the example above, you'd take 0.84kW and multiply it by 25.73p - equalling 21.61p.
The equation is: cost = power (kilowatt) × time (hour) × cost of 1 kWh (pence).
So if your fan costs 21.61p to have on for 12 hours and you have it on for a full week, that adds up to £1.51.
If you repeated that across a month of 4.5 weeks, the cost would be £6.81.
Of course, costs will vary depending on what type of fan you have, how long you're using it, what setting it's on and how much you pay for your energy.
How to calculate your appliance costs
HERE'S how to work out how much your appliances are costing you:
Find the wattage: Look for a sticker on your appliance. It will tell you the wattage (W). If it's in kilowatts (kW), remember 1kW = 1000W.
Convert to kilowatts: Divide the wattage by 1000 to get kilowatts (kW). For example, a 500W appliance is 0.5kW.
Figure out usage: How many hours a day do you use the appliance?
Calculate daily kWh: Multiply the kilowatts (kW) by the hours of use. For example, a 0.5 kW appliance used for 4 hours a day would use 2kWh (0.5 x 4 = 2).
Factor in electricity cost: Ofgem's current electricity price cap is around 25.73p per kWh (this can vary slightly depending on your supplier and region so it is always worth double checking). Multiply your daily kWh by this price to get the daily cost.
Monthly cost: Multiply the daily cost by the number of days in the month.
