Which way should my fan rotate to cool me in the summer and warm me in the winter? Sounds like a black and white question, but apparantly there’s some debate about this. So I ran my own tests and here’s the verdict (which matches Bob Vila’s by the way):

Summer: Counter-Clockwise.
Winter: Clockwise.

The counter-clockwise (summer) motion pushes air down on you and makes you feel cooler. The clockwise (winter) setting pulls cool air upwards and circulates warm air down on the room’s periphery.

So how do you change your setting? Most fans have a small square nub switch on the hub that holds the lights below the blades. It can either switch left to right or up and down depending on your manufacturer. Be sure the fan is off and the blades have stopped rotating before you change its direction, and it’s advisable to clean your fan blades while you’re up there. If they’re dirty, be prepared for dust bunnies to be blown down on you and then you’ll have a big mess to clean up. A quick wipe with a damp cloth on the top and sides of the blades should do it.

Switch settings twice a year, and according to Bob Vila, you can expect a 10-15% savings on your heating bill, and save up to 40% off your cooling bill in the summer.