Compare Appliance Running Costs UK

Start with energy use and your electricity rate

Appliance running cost depends on power draw, energy consumed in kWh, running time and how often you use it. Efficiency, programme and settings affect how much electricity is needed for the result you want. A power rating alone cannot tell you the cost of a wash, meal or evening of heating.

If you know wattage rather than energy consumption, combine it with time. These calculations assume the power figure represents the average draw across that period.

The examples below use 26.11p/kWh, EnergyCalc UK's reference/default rate for July–September 2026. It is not everyone's tariff. Use the same applicable rate for both appliances when comparing their energy requirements, then consider any time-of-use differences separately. Our electricity unit rate guide explains how to find your price.

These appliance estimates exclude the household standing charge. That daily supply charge would normally apply whether or not you switched on the particular appliance.

How to compare appliances fairly

Compare like with like: the same useful result, under reasonably similar conditions. For cooking, compare the full task of preparing the same quantity of food, including preheating where needed. For drying, compare a complete cycle for a similar load and dryness level. For washing, use the same number of washes with comparable loads and programmes.

For electric heating, consider the same duration and room requirement where practical. An hour at different temperature settings in different rooms does not establish which appliance needs less electricity for your purpose. Note the assumptions alongside the result so you can tell what changed.

A high-powered appliance used briefly can consume less energy than a lower-powered device running much longer. Rated or maximum wattage may also differ from average power draw: thermostats switch elements on and off, while CPUs, GPUs and other components respond to changing workloads.

Use programme kWh or representative measured consumption where available. If you only have rated wattage, treat the result as a calculation based on that assumption. Our guide to finding appliance energy usage explains how to choose suitable figures.

Example Appliance Electricity Cost Comparison

These are illustrative examples, not typical or guaranteed consumption figures. Your appliance may use more or less electricity. Each row covers one stated use at 26.11p/kWh, excluding standing charge. Costs are rounded to the nearest 0.01p. The rows describe different tasks, so they are not an efficiency ranking.

Use the linked calculators with your own appliance figures, running time or cycle count, and electricity rate. For timed examples, the stated watts are assumed average draw, not a promise that an appliance holds that power throughout use.

Air fryer vs electric oven

In this hypothetical comparison, an air fryer averages 1,500 W for 20 minutes: 1.5 × (20 ÷ 60) = 0.5 kWh, costing 13.06p. An oven averages 1,500 W over a 40-minute session including preheating: 1.5 × (40 ÷ 60) = 1 kWh, costing 26.11p. Assume both complete the same small cooking task.

An air fryer may use less electricity for suitable smaller tasks because it heats a smaller space and may run for less time. However, appliance size, cooking duration and food quantity matter. Several air-fryer batches can change the comparison, while an oven may cook multiple portions together. Oven elements cycle, so multiplying maximum rated power by the whole session may overestimate use.

Compare your complete cooking sessions in the air fryer electricity cost calculator and oven running cost calculator.

Kettle and microwave: short sessions still need a time estimate

The kettle example assumes 3,000 W for three minutes: 3 × (3 ÷ 60) = 0.15 kWh, or 3.92p per boil. Water quantity and starting temperature affect duration. In the kettle calculator, enter your own boil time and daily frequency.

The microwave example assumes 1,200 W electrical input for five minutes: 1.2 × (5 ÷ 60) = 0.1 kWh, or 2.61p. Cooking/output wattage is a different measurement. Use electrical input where available in the microwave calculator, allowing for settings that change average draw.

Washing machines and dishwashers: compare complete programmes

The illustrative wash uses 0.47 kWh, costing 0.47 × 26.11 = 12.27p. The dishwasher example uses 0.8 kWh, costing 20.89p per cycle. These energy totals already cover complete programmes; do not multiply them by programme duration again.

If an energy label says 47 kWh per 100 cycles, divide by 100: 47 ÷ 100 = 0.47 kWh per cycle. Match the label's programme to your comparison. Temperature, extra options and load size can affect use, and a longer eco programme does not necessarily consume more electricity.

Enter suitable per-cycle figures and your usual frequency in the washing machine calculator and dishwasher calculator.

Tumble dryers: use energy per cycle

The table assumes 2 kWh for one complete drying cycle: 2 × 26.11 = 52.22p. This is not a universal dryer figure. Electricity consumption can differ significantly between heat-pump, condenser and vented dryers, as well as between programmes and load sizes.

Use the model's energy information in kWh per cycle, or convert kWh per 100 cycles, rather than guessing from maximum wattage. Compare similar loads and drying outcomes in the tumble dryer running cost calculator.

Electric heaters: allow for thermostatic operation

A 2,000 W heater drawing full power for one hour uses 2 kWh and costs 52.22p in this example. Thermostatic control may reduce the time it spends drawing maximum power. Room size, insulation, target temperature and outdoor temperature affect real usage.

Use representative power and time assumptions in the electric heater running cost calculator. A full-power calculation describes that operating scenario, rather than predicting every hour of heating.

Gaming PCs: power supply capacity is not consumption

A 750 W PSU does not mean a computer continuously consumes 750 W. CPU/GPU workload, frame rate, game choice and idle time affect system draw. A separate monitor also uses electricity; include it separately if your system measurement excludes it.

The example assumes an average 450 W for four hours: 0.45 × 4 = 1.8 kWh, costing 47.00p. Enter a realistic measured or estimated average system draw in the gaming PC electricity cost calculator.

Which appliances use the most electricity?

There is no single ranking for every household. Total consumption depends on energy per use multiplied by frequency. Electric space heating, tumble drying, ovens and kettles involve heating and commonly have substantial power requirements, but they are not automatically the largest expense in every home.

A lower-power computer used for many hours can accumulate meaningful annual consumption. Compare your own weekly or annual kWh totals to identify which uses contribute most, rather than sorting appliances by their rating plates.

Cost per use vs cost per year

An appliance can be expensive per use but run only occasionally. Another can be cheap per hour yet operate every day. Keep both views: cost per task helps compare alternatives, while annual cost shows the effect of your routine.

For a regular weekly pattern, multiply uses per week by 52. At the example rate, a 2 kWh drying cycle used twice weekly gives 2 × 2 × 52 = 208 kWh, costing approximately £54.31 per year. Calculate from unrounded energy figures before rounding the final cost.

This assumes the same consumption, schedule and unit rate throughout the year. Holidays, seasonal heating and tariff changes can alter the total.

Common comparison mistakes

• Comparing watts instead of kWh: include time to compare energy for the task.
• Treating maximum power as average draw: allow for cycling and changing workloads.
• Comparing different task sizes: match meal portions, loads or heating requirements.
• Ignoring running time: include preheating and repeated batches where relevant.
• Adding the standing charge: keep the daily supply cost separate from individual uses.
• Entering pounds as pence: a p/kWh input needs 26.11, not 0.2611, for this reference rate.
• Assuming identical models or programmes: check your own consumption and settings.
• Using an outdated tariff: use the price applicable to the period being estimated.

Frequently asked questions

Calculate Your Appliance Running Cost

Select an EnergyCalc UK calculator, enter your own unit rate and appliance consumption, and estimate costs using your actual routine. For devices without a dedicated page, use the generic appliance running cost calculator with suitable wattage and running time.