They are a household appliance surging in popularity thanks to being quick and easy to use, cheaper to run than an oven, and often healthier because they don’t need oil. But running an air fryer can still be expensive, especially if you’re running it for hours at a time – and the cost is going up again in April.
Currently, electricity costs an average of 24.86p per kWh, and it will go up to 27.03p per kWh from April 1, when Ofgem increases prices of gas and electricity by an average of 6.4%, or £111 a year. According to comparison site Go Compare, the average air fryer uses anything between 800 watts and 2,000 watts per hour to heat up and cook food.
An average air fryer would cost 35p to run for an hour right now, or £127.03 per year if run for one hour per day.
But with the new prices from April, the cost will be £138.12 per year, after the cost per hour increases to 38p. Overall, it’s an increase of £11.09 per year from April when prices rise.
The good news is that, generally, it’s still cheaper to run an air fryer than an oven.
Go Compare says; “Our guide on air fryer vs oven energy costs revealed that air fryers are cheaper to run than conventional ovens, simply because ovens use a lot more energy, between 2,000 to 5,000 watts on average. This can vary depending on what heat the oven is on.
“It costs roughly 49p an hour to run an average oven (0.63kWh).
“Don’t forget, people love air fryers because of how quickly they cook food which means they use less energy. A bag of frozen chips takes 20 to 25 minutes in an oven, whereas in an air fryer it takes eight to 20 minutes.
“To save energy, make sure you are only keeping them switched on for as long as they are in use.”
Of course, the best way to save money on your bills right now is to get a fix. There are still fixed energy deals cheaper than the April price cap available on the market, which will save you money against the new prices and guarantee to lock your price in for the next 12 months, but time is rapidly running out to grab one before April.
