Energy bills are already eye-wateringly high and are set to increase again tomorrow with the new Ofgem energy price cap announcement.
We have taken the top 20 most commonly used kitchen appliances and combined the average power rating and the estimated number of hours used yearly. Then using the average electricity cost in the UK for August 2022 – 27.1p per kWh – we have come up with the annual costs to run each appliance until the end of September when tomorrows price cap increase takes effect.
| Appliance | Avg daily | Avg Hours a year | Annual Cost |
| Dishwasher | 2 hours | 730 | £367.22 |
| Fridge freezer | 24 hours | 8760 | £356.09 |
| Tumble Dryer | 45 minutes | 273 | £185.47 |
| Slow cooker | 7 hours | 42.5 | £117.71 |
| Gas cooker | 45 minutes | 273 | £112.76 |
| Oven | 1 hour | 365 | £106.33 |
| Grill | 1 hour | 365 | £98.92 |
| Freezer | 24 hours | 8760 | £94.96 |
| Electric cooker | 45 minutes | 273 | £80.86 |
| Air fryer | 30 minutes | 182 | £74.19 |
| Kettle | 15 minutes | 91 | £34.62 |
| Pressure cooker | 30 minutes | 182 | £32.97 |
| Microwave | 10 minutes | 61 | £28.44 |
| Washing machine | 30 minutes | 182 | £24.73 |
| Rice cooker | 30 minutes | 182 | £24.73 |
| Coffee machine | 15 minutes | 91 | £23.08 |
| Toaster | 5 minutes | 30 | £10.72 |
| Food processor | 15 minutes | 91 | £5.77 |
| Juicer | 5 minutes | 30 | £2.89 |
| Blender | 3 minutes | 18.25 | £1.15 |
These figures show, your dishwasher is most likely costing you the most when it comes to your yearly energy bills.
Although it isn’t on for as many hours as some other appliances, it has a high energy use. In 12 months, the appliance will use up an average of 1,355,063 watts running up a high total cost of £367.
If, as expected the price cap increases 82% – 49p per kWh, the cost of using your dishwasher will increase to a whopping £663 annually.
| Dishwasher | 2 hours | 730 | £663.98 |
| Fridge freezer | 24 hours | 8760 | £643.86 |
| Tumble Dryer | 45 minutes | 273 | £335.34 |
| Slow cooker | 7 hours | 42.5 | £212.83 |
| Gas cooker | 45 minutes | 273 | £203.89 |
| Oven | 1 hour | 365 | £192.26 |
| Grill | 1 hour | 365 | £178.85 |
| Freezer | 24 hours | 8760 | £171.70 |
| Electric cooker | 45 minutes | 273 | £146.21 |
| Air fryer | 30 minutes | 182 | £134.14 |
| Kettle | 15 minutes | 91 | £62.60 |
| Pressure cooker | 30 minutes | 182 | £59.62 |
| Microwave | 10 minutes | 61 | £51.42 |
| Washing machine | 30 minutes | 182 | £44.71 |
| Rice cooker | 30 minutes | 182 | £44.71 |
| Coffee machine | 15 minutes | 91 | £41.73 |
| Toaster | 5 minutes | 30 | £19.38 |
| Food processor | 15 minutes | 91 | £10.43 |
| Juicer | 5 minutes | 30 | £5.22 |
| Blender | 3 minutes | 18.25 | £2.09 |
Tips to help save energy in the kitchen
If you are looking for ways to save energy (and money) in your kitchen here are some tips to get you started.
Avoid leaving your appliances on standby or switched on
Some appliances in your kitchen cannot be switched off such as the fridge-freezer, however other appliances are sitting around wasting energy whilst being left on standby.
Save some energy, albeit a small amount, just by switching off the plug. Get into the habit of turning these appliances off when they are not in use and you’ll start saving on your energy usage and (money).
Energy saving cooking
Most of the time spent in the kitchen is to cook, so why not try and save some energy whilst doing so.
When boiling water on the hob, cover pots and pans with a lid in order to encourage water to boil quicker and use less energy.
Turn off the heat a few minutes before you have finished cooking, heat will retain on the hop as it cools down.
Have you got the right size appliance?
Fridge-freezers, dishwashers and washing machines are all becoming more energy efficient but if you have an appliance too big for your needs then they are still going to be wasting energy (and money).
Replace older appliances
Older appliances often use a considerable amount of energy due to their lower efficiency rating so it may be worth upgrading. Although it may cost you initially, you’ll be saving a lot more time, energy and money in the long run.
