Energy Guy Wes Reddy Compares Tower Fan vs Air Con Running Costs
- Johannesburg-based energy expert Wes Reddy broke down the electricity cost difference between a tower fan and an air conditioner
- Wes Reddy used South Africa's electricity rate to show just how wide the gap in running costs is between the two appliances
- South Africans flooded the comments with questions about inverter air cons, ceiling fans, and whether the comparison was fair
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Source: Facebook
A Johannesburg energy expert's straight-talking comparison of two common cooling appliances has got South Africans rethinking what they plug in during summer.
Wes Reddy, a renewable energy professional known online as the #EnergyGuy, posted the explainer video on 5 November 2026 after being tagged in a clip of a woman testing a 50-watt tower fan.
Fan vs air con: What the numbers show
Reddy used an electricity rate of R3.50 per unit to lay out the costs. A 50-watt tower fan runs at roughly 18 cents per hour, while a 100-watt fan comes in at around 35 cents. An air conditioner drawing 1,000 watts, by contrast, costs about R3.50 per hour, making it ten times more expensive than the larger fan.
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He also made an important distinction that many people overlook. Fans do not lower room temperature at all. They move air across the skin, which creates a cooling sensation. Air conditioners actually extract heat from the room and reduce the ambient temperature. Where you place the fan, he said, makes a real difference since you need to be in the path of the airflow to benefit.
Watch Wes Reddy's tower fan vs air con cost comparison:
South Africans react to the breakdown
The video on the Facebook page sparked a lively debate in the comments, with many viewers raising questions about inverter air cons and ceiling fans.
@Gloria Moyce asked:
"And what about a 9000 BTU inverter a/con?"
@Austin Swart replied:
"Ours draw about 400W throughout the night. Also, it is inverter-based and not a fixed-speed unit."
@Vicki Murray Hunking added:
"That's why you get an inverter aircon, so you're technically not paying R3.50 because your aircon doesn't actually pull 1000W."
@Conrad Jackie Paul admitted:
"I'll pay R3.50 gladly to be cooled properly."
@Salim Sheik raised a bigger concern:
"Whilst what you say is true, you must also realise that the more we try to save on electricity, the more the tariffs go up."
@First Line Medical joked:
"Not sure how this video popped on our feed, but now I'm googling for tower fans I didn't know I needed. Thanks for the info."
@Rita Ramnath shared her reality:
"We realise the high costs of electricity, but in this sizzling weather in Ladysmith, we are forced to switch on our aircons."
More on fuel and electricity
- Briefly News recently reported on homeowners with private water and electricity backup systems and the extra municipal charges some are facing.
- SPAR has shared practical ways to make every grocery trip count as fuel prices climb.
- A man allegedly took back a transformer he installed in a township after the local elections, and South Africans are divided.
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Source: Briefly News
