How will a ceiling fan save me money?

In the warm months of the year, the air moved by a ceiling fan blowing across the body causes a cooling sensation, called the wind chill effect. Because of this cooling, you can raise the thermostat on your air conditioner up to 8° higher than you normally keep it, reducing the amount of time the air conditioner runs each day. In the cooler months, heat tends to be trapped at the ceiling and the furnace has to keep heating the cooler air at the floor of the room. A reversible fan will save energy by pulling the cool air up to the ceiling and circulating the warm air to the walls and down.  This makes the space close to the floor of a room feel warmer, allowing you to turn the thermostat down, causing the furnace to run less. 

Which direction should my fan spin in the summer? In the winter?

Though some fan specifications may differ, most fans are designed so that the fan spins counter-clockwire in the summer, and clockwise in the winter. Which direction is your fan spinning?    To determine which direction your fan is spinning: With the fan off, stand directly underneath it and look straight up.  Have someone turn the fan on and as it begins to spin determine which direction the blades are spinning.