I’m a home energy expert and this is my foolproof way to choose the right kind of fan for your home, and why it shouldn’t just be a summer purchase

Signs of spring are appearing thick and fast, so it's not surprising if your mind is shifting to keeping your home comfortable when the warmer weather hits.

But while things are still changeable weather-wise, the best fans can actually help you ensure an agreeable environment all year-round. That's where choosing the right fan comes in.

Whether you want a fan for the bedroom or your home office, there's more than just price to consider when looking for an option that not only suits your home and how you want to use it, but is also gentle on your energy bills.

How to choose the right kind of fan?

While your budget might be the primary driver behind your choice of fan, it shouldn't be the sole factor you consider. After all, the fans available today come in an array of styles, with a whole host of modern features that make them more powerful, quieter, and easier to use.

So with all that variation available, what are the most important features you should consider, beyond the purchase price? As a home energy expert that writes about all aspects of heating and cooling in the home, these are the foolproof questions I swear by that will lead you to the right fan.

1. Where do you want to use it? This should be your first consideration as this will likely inform the kind of fan you should choose, and getting this wrong is one of the biggest fan mistakes you can make. As part of this, you should also think about whether your fan will be for personal use or for the benefit of your whole family. If you want a whole room solution, a pedestal or tower fan is ideal. If you are short on floor space or want something for personal comfort, then a desk fan or a portable model that can sit on your desk or be easily carried around your home and garden, and beyond, may be a better choice.
2. How quiet is it? If you are easily distracted by noise, or you want a fan for the bedroom, then the level of sound your fan emits should be a key consideration. There are plenty of options that offer whisper-quiet operation, especially in the lower settings based on our experiences (see below). However, that ultra-quiet operation is achieved by a DC motor, which means it'll usually be a feature on a fan with a higher price point. More budget-friendly fans tend to have an AC motor that isn't as quiet.
3. How powerful is it? If you are going to the effort of investing in a new fan, then you'll want to know its effective. That's where it's worth paying attention to a fan's air displacement rate. This'll be represented as m3 per hour, and the higher the number the more air the fan displaces each hour.
4. How much does it cost to run? As with any appliance that could be used on a daily basis, then its running costs will matter. Budget fans may be more affordable upfront, but with a cheaper AC motor and more basic settings, they will likely cost more to run than fans with a higher initial price, but energy efficient DC motor and more complex settings.
5. What's your budget? When it comes to fans, there is a sizeable element of you get what you pay for. At the budget edge of the spectrum, you'll get a decent fan, but it'll likely be quite noisy and with a limited range of settings. If you can afford to invest a little more, especially if you want to use it in the bedroom, you'll get something much quieter, with many more settings so you get get the wind speed and oscillation just how you like it. Think too about whether you have need for an electric heater or air purifier too. If you do, a space-saving and cost-effective solution may be to spend a bit more on a single appliance that does it all.

'Beyond the upfront purchase price, noise level and running costs usually matter most,' says Meaco's Chief Product Officer, Chris Michael. 'If the fan will run overnight, low noise becomes the key factor because it affects sleep. Quality matters here, because a well made fan typically runs more quietly, offers more useful functionality, and uses energy more efficiently, which can make it more cost effective over the long run.'

'In a bedroom, a pedestal fan often makes sense because it can direct airflow down and across the bed without taking up bedside table space,' he adds. 'Check how many speed settings the fan offers and what it costs per hour to run. Look for sleep friendly features such as no bleeps, no display lights, a remote control, an off timer, and adjustable airflow direction.'

If comfort while working from home is more important, Chris says: 'If the fan is mainly for a study or office, a desktop model may be the better fit. Size still matters, because a small desk fan may suit one person, while a living room typically needs higher airflow to move air across the whole space.'

Are fans only really for summer?

You might think of a fan as that appliance that comes out of storage when temperatures start to rise, but as some one who has a fan in their bedroom year round, I can attest that they definitely have functionality that can offer year-round benefit, especially if you already subscribe to the idea of burping your home.

• It helps with a stuffy room. For me, a stuffy room is immediately headache inducing, but sticking the fan on helps to get the air moving around. Even in winter, I'll open a window and stick my fan on for 10 minutes and very quickly the room feels fresh again.
• The gentle sound and breeze can help you sleep better. I love having a fan on when I got to sleep, even when it's not the height of the summer. I'll pop it on the lowest setting, so it's almost silent and it not only makes the room feel fresh, but I swear it makes me fall asleep easier too. I stick it on a timer so it's not running all night long.
• It can help circulate warm air when your heating is on. When it's cold, I'll stick a fan near my radiator and pop it on when the heating comes on to encourage the heat around the room quicker.
• Can help keep prevent moisture build up that can lead to damp. I'm fortunate that damp isn't a huge problem in my home, but if I'm having a break from using my tumble dryer and drying my clothes indoors, and I sense things getting a bit humid, I'll open the window and stick the fan on to quickly expel the moist air.

If cooling is more of a priority, then it's worth weighing up a fan vs a portable air conditioner to see which might be the most suitable option for your needs.