How Much Does it Cost to Run Household Appliances?
With energy bills more than doubling in the last 12 months and the cost of living crisis ongoing, everyone is keeping a closer eye on what they spend.
The increased cost of shopping and energy bills has led us to scrutinise our spending habits much more closely. One of the biggest costs are those things we rely on every day, like our cooker and fridge, but how much does it cost to run these appliances in the UK considering the cost of living crisis?
Here, we outline how much it costs to run your household essentials and offer some more cost-effective alternatives to running traditional appliances.
How much does it cost to run an oven?
Using an electric oven for an hour a day will cost you 34p, per week this will cost you £2.38, or over the course of one month £10.18
How much does it cost to run an electric grill or hob?
Using an electric hob for 30 minutes a day will cost an average of £1.26 per week or £5.40 a month. Per year, using an electric grill or hob will, according to the Citizens Advice website, cost over £65 per year (£65.70).
How much does it cost to run a microwave?
One of the cheapest appliances to run is a microwave, costing a little over 24p to run per hour. It’s unlikely you’ll be running your microwave for an hour a week, but if you use it for five minutes a day (35 minutes a week), you’ll be spending about 14p over a 7-day period.
Over the course of a month, the approximate cost of running a microwave will be 56p or £6.72 per year.
How much does it cost to run fridges and freezers?
Designed to run all day every day, fridges and freezers are essential appliances, but they can be costly.
To help keep costs down, you should ensure your freezer is defrosted regularly. The more iced up they are, the more energy your freezer will use and the less space there’ll be.
Some fridges are cheaper to run than others, and some can be more costly depending on the size and the energy rating - electrical appliances are given a rating from A to G based on how efficient they are. The size of the appliance plays a part too, for example, a smaller C-rated fridge could use less electricity than a larger B-rated fridge. Because of this it can be difficult to calculate the running costs, but on average this is what your fridge could be costing you per year:
- F-rated 70/30 287-litre fridge freezer will cost £65.45.
- E-rated 70/30 267-litre fridge freezer will cost £55.22.
- D-rated 70/30 294-litre fridge freezer will cost £37.13.
How much does it cost to run a dishwasher?
A dishwasher on eco mode will cost around 23p per cycle, so if you’re running your dishwasher for two hours per week, it’ll cost 46p. The monthly cost of running a dishwasher at this rate will be £1.84 or £22.08 a year.
How much does it cost to run a washer and dryer?
Washing can be extremely variable depending on the household size and the particular cycle you use. If you use an eco cycle, one cycle will cost 31p, so a cycle a day for a week will cost £2.17 and £8.68 per month.
Likewise, a tumble dryer costs roughly 49p per cycle, so if you’re using yours for 7 cycles a week, it’s likely costing £3.41. Over the course of a month, this is £14.61
How much does it cost to run a kettle?
If you love a brew as much as us, the relatively cheap-to-run kettle can prove to be a pretty costly appliance. Costing around 42p a week (five minutes’ boiling time per day), a months’ brewing up will cost around £1.68. Who says you can’t put a price on a good brew…
If you’re trying to save money, only putting what you need in your kettle instead of filling it can make a big difference over the course of a year.
How much does it cost to run a TV?
Spending time in front of the TV is one of our favourite ways to unwind and relax, but it comes at a cost. An average TV will cost around 3p an hour to run, so if you’re watching two hours a day this is roughly 42p per week or £1.68 a month. Over the course of a year, watching TV will cost £20.16.
In addition to this, a TV box, like one from Sky or Virgin, will cost around 1p an hour to run, so if you’re using a TV box for 14 hours a week, this is 14p a week, which works out at 56p a month or £6.22 a year.
Next time you’re worried about how much time you spend watching TV, remember there are far more expensive things you could be doing…
How much does it cost to run a games console?
Similar to using a Sky or Virgin TV box, a games console is fairly cheap to run too, costing roughly 3p an hour to use. So if your child is gaming for 10 hours a week, this will be 30p. Over the course of a year this is roughly £14.40 (£1.20 per month).
How much do other appliances cost to run?
How much does an iron cost to run?
An hour’s ironing will cost around 36p, so if you use an iron for an hour a week, this equates to £1.44 a month or £17.28 a year.
How much does it cost to run a vacuum?
Using a vacuum cleaner for an hour costs around 22p in electricity, so if you hoover for an hour a week, you’ll be spending 88p a month - a yearly total of £10.56.
How much does it cost to run a toaster?
If you use a toaster for a couple minutes a day, it’ll cost you around 10p a week in electricity. Over the course of a month this is 40p or £4.80 a year.
Saving money with cost-effective appliances
If you’re looking to restrict what you spend on electricity, consider switching to an air fryer or slow cooker. Slow cookers cost 5p per hour, while air fryers cost 19p per hour of use.
Explore Our Guide to Saving Money with Cost-effective Appliances blog for tips and information on how much you could save by switching to cheaper appliances.
For more money-saving tips, information on how Fair for You is run, and more, explore our blog.
Unless otherwise stated, all costing information has been taken from the Citizens Advice website and is correct as of 25 October 2024.
The content of this blog does not constitute personal financial advice, and the views expressed in it are those of the contributor or author, which may not necessarily represent or reflect the views expressed by Fair for You Enterprise CIC.