[phreanix]

Let me get this straight, you're asking how an air conditioner uses less power than a regular fan?

While I can't cite any wattage/amps/etc. figures, an air conditioner runs several things besides a fan motor, most notably its compressor. The more advanced ones also have other electrically driven parts, like a thermostat.

As for real world stats, when I lived in the Philippines, I can say for a fact that running a fan vs an airconditioner makes at least a 60-70% difference in my electric bills.