Before powered fans were widely accessible, their use related to the social divide between social classes. In Britain and China, they were initially only installed in the buildings of Parliament and in noble homes. In Ancient Egypt (3150 BC), servants were required to fan Pharaohs and important figures.
In parts of the world such as India, where the temperature reaches above , standing and electric box fans are essential in the business world for customer comfort and an efficient work environment. Fans have become solar powered, energy efficient and battery powered in places with unreliable energy sources.
In South Korea, fans play a part in an old wives tale. Many older  South Korean citizens believe in the unscientific and unsupported myth of fan death due to excessive use of an electric fan; Korean electric fans usually turn off after a few hours to protect from fan death.
Typical room electrical fans consume 50 to 100 watts of power, while air-conditioning units use 500 to 4000 watts; fans use less electricity but do not cool the air, simply providing evaporative cooling of sweat. Commercial fans are louder than AC units and can be to disruptively loud. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, reported incidents related to box fans include, fire (266 incidents), potential fire (29 incidents), electrocution (15), electric shock (4 incidents), and electrical hazard (2 incidents). Injuries related to AC units mostly relate to their falling from buildings.