Ceiling fans circulate air. They do not ventilate a room or lower the temperature. They simply create a draft. That draft, or air movement over the skin, provides a wind chill effect on our bodies, making the room seem cooler. This can allow a person to set the cooling temperature on the air conditioner higher, reducing energy bills and possibly prolonging the life of the cooling equipment.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, using a ceiling fan with an air conditioning system will allow most people to raise the thermostat temperature setting about 4 degrees without a reduction in comfort. Raising the temperature is what creates the savings, not installing and running the fan. For more energy savings, turn fans off when exiting a room. Furniture can't "feel" the wind chill effect.
For best efficiency, consider the type of lights in the ceiling fans when purchasing. The fan itself may only be used part of the year; many times lights are used every day. A single bulb can be more efficient than many bulbs and fluorescent lights are far more efficient than incandescent.
For more information on ceiling fans and efficiency, go to the Department of Energy ceiling fan resource page.
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