Watt’s Cooking: Uncover the Energy Behind Your Kitchen Gadgets
Last Updated on October 8, 2024
In today’s modern kitchens, convenience is powered by a range of gadgets, each promising to make life easier. But while these devices may cut cooking time, they can also add hidden costs to your energy bill.
As Ofgem’s energy price cap has just risen, the team at House of Worktops, have taken a closer look at the real energy usage of using your everyday kitchen worktop essentials, and how they compare to the previous price cap.
For this report, we took the kWh of your average kitchen worktop appliances from Argos & Currys and then applied this to the October to December average kWh energy price cap cost supplied by Ofgem.
Most Expensive Kitchen Worktop Appliances to Run
Induction hobs came out as the most expensive appliance to run annually. Despite induction hobs and gas hobs roughly having the same kWh cost to run, the cheaper price of gas means electric-powered induction hobs are a more expensive option when cooking on the hob. Using your main induction hob ring for 30 minutes per day would cost you £80.48 per year.
This might surprise some people, but Air fryers actually come out as the second most expensive worktop appliance to run annually, this is due to their high wattage. Your average dual basket air fryer will use 1.8 kWh, and used once per day for 30 minutes would result in an annual cost of £76.01.
There are of course advantages to air fryers, they do not need as much oil so are generally healthier, and you can cut down cooking times compared to a conventional oven.
Despite your average slow cooker only using 0.26 kWh of energy the slow cooker comes out as the third most expensive kitchen worktop appliance due to the length of time it takes to cook. Using a slow cooker once per day for an average of 3 hours per usage would result in £69.75 of electricity.
Fourth is the humble kettle. As a nation of tea drinkers, the kettle gets boiled several times per day, and because it requires a lot of energy to bring water up to the boil quickly the more brews you have, the more and more it costs your pocket. Boiling 1L of water in a kettle 3 times per day will cost you £29.51 per year.
Position | Appliance | kWh | Cost per usage | Annual Cost |
1. | Induction Hob | 1.8 | £0.22 | £80.48 |
2. | Air fryer | 1.7 | £0.19 | £76.01 |
3. | Slow Cooker | 0.26 | £0.19 | £69.75 |
4. | Kettle | 3 | £0.027 | £29.51 |
Cheapest Kitchen Worktop Appliances to Run
The mighty toaster is the cheapest worktop appliance to run in your kitchen annually. Two slices of toasty goodness will cost you just under 1 pence, at £0.009 per two slices of toast. Using a toaster 3 times per day annually would cost just £10.73.
Second is the Microwave. As household microwaves are typically 800 watts, the energy consumption is relatively low compared to ovens and air fryers. Using your microwave for 5 minutes per day would cost you £17.89 over the whole year.
In third place is the gas hob. As gas prices are currently a lot lower than electricity prices, it pays to use your gas hob! 30 minutes using your main gas ring on your hob per day would only set you back £19.36 per year.
Position | Appliance | kWh | Cost per usage | Annual Cost |
1. | Toaster | 0.8 | £0.01 | £10.73 |
2. | Microwave | 0.8 | £0.013 | £17.89 |
3. | Gas Hob | 1.7 | £0.05 | £19.36 |
How Prices Compare to the Previous Price Cap
The price cap is rising in October compared to the previous energy price cap. Electricity is up from £0.2236 kWh to £0.245 kWh, and Gas is up from £0.548 kWh to £0.624 kWh.
Whilst this looks on paper like a relatively small increase, over the space of 12 months it can quickly add up. Everyday usage of the worktop appliances we have gathered data for would cost the average household an extra £27.20 per year.
How Air fryers Compared to Traditional Ovens
You may have heard in the past that it’s cheaper to use an air fryer than a conventional electric oven, however, that might not always be the case.
Yes, an air fryer can cook your food quicker than an oven, but an air fryer has to use much more energy to do so. Modern ovens are incredibly energy-efficient and the average oven available at Currys has an energy consumption of just 1 kWh.
This means that if you used both your oven and air fryer for 30 minutes per day over the course of one year, the air fryer would cost £31.30 more than the oven.
How Much Does it Cost to Cook Everyday Foods?
As well as understanding how much it costs to use everyday kitchen worktop appliances, we wanted to get an idea of how much it would also cost to cook everyday foods using kitchen top appliances. Here’s what we found.
Hard Boiled Eggs
A large egg requires 15 minutes of boiling time on the hob, but how much does it cost to use an induction hob and gas hob cooker?
- Electric Induction Hob: £0.11
- Gas Hob: £0.03
It’s a whole 8 pence cheaper to cook a hard boiled egg on a gas hob. Costing just 3 pence on a gas hob Vs 11 pence on an electric induction hob.
2 slices of toast
This does depend on how you like your toast. The settings on a toaster are not set in minutes, but rather levels of toastiness (yes, that’s a real word). So changing this to minutes for this purpose, we can cost your 2 slices of toast as follows:
- 1 minute toast: £0.003
- 2 minute toast: £0.065
- 3 minute toast: £0.098
- 4 minute toast: £0.0131
There really is very little in it, so whether you like your toast lightly toasted or burnt to a crisp it’s going to cost between roughly half a pence to 1 and a half pence to make two slices of toast.
Chips
A household staple, the mighty chip goes well with so many meals, but how much does it cost to cook a portion of chips in the air fryer Vs the oven? Times do vary between appliances, so we’re working on the logic that it’s 15 minutes in an air fryer and 20 minutes in the oven.
- Air Fryer: £0.10
- Electric Oven: £0.08
Despite it being quicker to cook your chips in the air fryer, it’s 2 pence cheaper to cook them in the oven with 10 pence to cook your chips in the air fryer Vs 8 pence to cook them in an electric oven. Air fryers are really a matter of convenience, and are a great alternative if you do not have time on your hands.
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken nuggets are a favorite for kids and adults alike, but how much does it cost to cook chicken nuggets in the air fryer Vs an electric oven? It takes around 16 minutes to cook chicken nuggets in the oven, and 12 minutes in an air fryer.
- Air Fryer: £0.08
- Electric Oven: £0.05
It’s just 3 pence cheaper to cook your chicken nuggets in the oven at 5 pence Vs 8 pence in the air fryer.
Baked Beans
A British staple, baked beans go great on toast or a jacket potato. A go to lunch or dinner option for many Brits up and down the country, but which way of cooking baked beans is the cheapest? Using a standard tin of Heinz baked beans, it takes 2 and a half minutes to cook in the microwave and 4 minutes on the hob.
- Microwave: £0.0082
- Induction Hob: £0.03
- Gas Hob: £0.01
There’s not much in it between the microwave and the gas hob, but the microwave comes out slightly cheaper, at just under 1 pence. An induction hob is the most expensive at 3 pence.
Baked beans on Toast
What about baked beans on toast? Taking 3 minute toast, the cost to make beans on toast would be as follows:
- Microwave: £0.018
- Induction Hob: £0.0398
- Gas Hob: £0.0198
It’s less than 2 pence to cook beans on toast, cooking the beans in the microwave, whereas if you cooked the beans on an induction hob it would be close to 4 pence.
Jacket Potato
A great lunch or dinner option, and goes well as a side or part of the main dish. But what’s the cheapest way to cook a jacket potato? It roughly takes 10 minutes in the microwave, around 1 hour and 20 minutes in the oven, and 50 minutes in the air fryer to cook a jacket potato, depending on the size of the potato. Using a medium to large potato, it would cost you:
- Microwave: £0.0327
- Oven: £0.33
- Air Fryer: £0.35
It is considerably cheaper to cook a jacket potato in the microwave compared to an air fryer and oven, and this is all down to speed. The cooking time of just 10 minutes alongside the relatively low 0.8 kWh it takes to use the microwave means it’s just over 3 pence to cook a jacket potato, compared to 35 pence in the air fryer.
Jacket Potato with Baked Beans
Now what about a jacket potato with beans? Taking the cheapest option to cook beans (using the microwave), it’d cost the following to make this meal:
- Microwave: £0.04
- Oven: £0.3382
- Air Fryer: £0.3582
It’s just approximately 4 pence to cook your beans and jacket potato in the microwave, a considerable saving compared to the oven or air fryer with a saving of at least 29 pence.
5 tips on reducing your energy consumption in the Kitchen
At House of Worktops, we understand that energy efficiency in the kitchen is not just about cutting costs—it’s about making smart, sustainable choices for a better future. As the heart of the home, the kitchen often uses the most electricity, especially with the increasing reliance on modern appliances. With energy prices continuing to fluctuate, it’s more important than ever to be mindful of how we use our kitchen appliances.
Drawing on our years of expertise in the kitchen industry, we’ve put together practical tips to help you reduce energy consumption without compromising on convenience or performance. Whether you’re brewing your morning coffee or preparing a family meal, our expert insights will help you make cost-effective decisions that benefit both your home and the environment.
- Consider using the microwave instead of the oven or air fryer
When possible, opt for energy-efficient appliances like microwaves. Microwaves use on average 800 watts, and according to our data are around 72% more energy efficient than an air fryer.
Microwaves have certainly dropped in popularity over the years, as the results of cooking a meal are often better from an oven or air fryer. Still, if you are conscious about how much you are spending, a microwave is a more economical option.
- Cook with lids on pans when cooking on the hob
Covering pots and pans with lids helps trap heat, allowing food to cook faster and more efficiently. This reduces the energy required, whether using a hob or electric stove.
- Batch cook where you can
Cooking meals in bulk reduces the need to use the oven or air fryer repeatedly throughout the week. Prepare larger portions and store them for later, then reheat in the microwave, which uses less energy than a full cook.
- Defrost food in the fridge ahead of time instead of the microwave
Instead of using a microwave or running water to defrost frozen food, plan ahead and defrost items in the fridge overnight. This reduces the energy required for both defrosting and cooking, as the food starts at a higher temperature.
- Choose energy-efficient appliances
When purchasing new kitchen appliances, look for energy-efficient models with high energy ratings or similar certifications. These appliances are designed to use less electricity while still performing optimally.
Energy-efficient fridges, dishwashers, and even kettles can significantly reduce your overall kitchen energy consumption.
Methodology
For this campaign, we aimed to uncover the energy consumption costs of common kitchen gadgets to inform consumers about potential savings. Our approach involved the following steps:
- Data Collection
We gathered information on the average energy consumption (in kWh) of everyday kitchen appliances, including induction hobs, air fryers, slow cookers, kettles, toasters, and microwaves. The primary sources for this data were product specifications from Argos and Curry’s, two well-known UK retailers of electrical appliances.
- Energy Price Application
To calculate the cost of using each appliance, we applied the most recent Ofgem energy price cap figures. The data reflects the average electricity price per kWh for the period of October to December 2024. For comparison purposes, we also used the previous price cap from July to September 2024 to show how price fluctuations impact annual appliance costs.
- Cost Calculations
We estimated the energy consumption for each appliance based on typical daily usage. For example, we assumed a daily 30-minute use of the induction hob and air fryer, a 3-hour daily use for slow cookers, and multiple daily uses for kettles and toasters. The annual costs were derived by multiplying the appliance’s daily energy consumption (kWh) by the number of usage days per year and the energy price cap (in £/kWh).
- Comparison of Appliances
We ranked the appliances from most to least expensive based on their calculated annual running costs. This helped identify which appliances are more expensive to operate and offered insights into how consumers can make energy-efficient choices.
- Additional Cost Comparisons
We performed further comparisons to explore how different methods of cooking the same food impact energy costs. For instance, we compared cooking times and energy costs between air fryers, ovens, microwaves, and hobs for common meals like baked beans, jacket potatoes, and chips.
- Limitations
While we used typical energy consumption values and average usage patterns, actual energy costs will vary based on individual household usage, appliance models, and regional energy price fluctuations.