This post originally ran back in 2007, but given the onset of summer weather, is worth bringing back.
Rule of Thumb #5 - Your Couch Doesn't Care
Ceiling fan tip. Ceiling fans do not cool the air. However, they do cool you. Ceiling fans work by moving air around. Humans feel more comfortable in the heat when the air is moving. You've probably noted that you can sit outside on your deck in 82-degree weather and feel terrifically comfortable, but 82 degrees inside your house is uncomfortably warm. That's because outside the air is moving, and it makes you feel cooler.
So inside your house you can feel cooler, too, by using fans to move the air. Then you can turn up the thermostat a couple of degrees and save on air conditioning. It does absolutely no good, though, to 
leave a fan on in a room where there are no people. In fact, it's counterproductive, because the fan is using electricity and providing no benefit. Your couch does not care that the fan is on, and it does not feel any cooler. It's true: I asked it.
So use your ceiling fans to keep you cooler, but turn them off when there are no people around to keep cool.
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Steve Offutt,
Oh, and hey! If your ceiling fan has lights, change them out for more efficient CFLs too.
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