With fuel prices rising globally, we can anticipate the cost of running appliances in our homes to go up too. In this article, we use an appliance running cost calculator for the UK to determine how much it will cost you to run common appliances in your home. In addition, you will also gain useful tips for reducing the cost of running your appliances.

The energy cost in the UK in the last 10 years

As per the UK Government Annual domestic energy bills, BEIS (Tables 2.2.1 and 2.3.1), the cost of electricity in the UK, and Europe as a whole has constantly risen since 2010.

The average electricity bill in 2010 was £450, and this figure has steadily risen to £760 by 2021. Beyond 2021, energy prices spiked due to the increasing demand for oil and gas, as the world was coming out of a global pandemic. Also, the latest world crisis disrupted the supply of oil and gas, causing crude oil prices to rise and, hence, an increase in energy costs.

How much does it cost to use appliances UK?

The size of the device, its wattage requirements, and how long it runs every day determine how much it will cost to run the appliance. Also, energy prices will slightly vary depending on where you live in the UK and the electricity tariff you are on. We also have to consider the energy price cap when determining electricity costs in the UK.

The current energy price cap in the UK is 24.5p per kWh, as per the updated UK Energy Price Guarantee (1 April to 30 June 2024). This rating can vary by region, so check within your area for accurate figures.

How do you calculate the cost of running an appliance?

The cost of running any appliance can be calculated using three things;

● The energy rating of the appliance

● The energy price cap of your area

● A power consumption calculator

All appliances have a standard energy consumption rating, which is often indicated on the appliance itself. Note that this energy rating is usually an estimate of what the appliance will use in ideal conditions. Most appliances only use 95% of their rated power when on high consumption.

A power consumption calculator uses three things to calculate the cost of electricity

● Energy consumption rating

● Hours used

● Cost of electricity

With these three figures, you can calculate the energy consumption of any appliance, from a mobile phone charger to an electric boiler.

Wow! You can easily calculate the electricity running cost of any device using our calculator at the end of this article!

What appliances cost the most to run UK?

A common assumption is that the bigger the appliance, the more power it will consume, hence the costlier it will be to run it. However, this is not accurate because the cost of running an appliance is largely dependent on its power consumption.

Generally, the higher the wattage rating of an appliance, the more it will cost to run. For example, a small appliance with a power rating of 1000 watts will cost more to run compared to a larger appliance with an energy rating of 500 watts.

Also, the cost of running an appliance will depend on other factors, like:

● Smart features on the appliance

● Weather and seasons

● Consumption habits

● Number of people living in a house

● Thermal environment in your home

● State of your home; thermal insulation, air leaks

● State of the appliance; pristine or damaged?

Cost to run our home appliances

Just how much power does each of the appliances you use in your house consume? For instance, when you wake up in the morning, you use more than one appliance to get ready, make breakfast, dry your clothes, catch up with the world, and so on. All these items combined use massive amounts of energy, and it is important to know how much power they use to know how your monthly electric bill is affected.

In this section, we help you calculate how much energy is used by the common appliances we use in our homes. This knowledge will be beneficial in helping you make wiser energy-saving decisions in your home, office, or wherever you use electricity.

Clothes dryers (3000 to 5000 watts)

Most clothes dryers sold today have an average tumble dryer wattage of 3000 to 5000 watts.  The average drying cycle for an electric dryer, on full load, is between 30 and 45 minutes. The same dryer can take up to an hour to dry a full load, in comparison to dense fabrics like baby blankets and quilts.

What if your clothes take more than an hour to dry? Except for heavier loads, if the dryer runs a full cycle but still does not effectively dry clothes, especially lighter fabrics, there could be a fault in the dryer itself. It is important to troubleshoot the underlying issue to prevent your dryer from wasting energy and raising your power bills. 

Potential dryer issues to check include:

● Using the wrong settings

● Obstructed airflow

● Faulty heating element

● A malfunctioning sensor or thermostat

Frequent dryer maintenance is important to troubleshoot and fix these common issues. Here are some tips on how to reduce tumble dryer energy costs.

Energy-saving tips

● Avoid user errors by ensuring you dial the correct heat and timer settings for the fabrics in question.

● Always check the user instructions for load capacity, drying times, and heat settings.

● Use your washing machine’s spin cycle to drain excess water from clothes. This ensures your clothes dry faster in the tumble dryer.

● Check the evaporator filters and ensure they are not blocked with lint or other debris.

● Replace damaged heating elements to reduce drying times.

● Call a technician to fix sensor and thermostat issues and replace the functionality of your dryer.

Electric stove or oven (2000 to 2500 watts)

Fortunately, electric stoves or ovens are not energy-hungry, and a typical one has an average wattage of between 2000 and 2500 watts. An oven may not use a lot of energy to cook, but it is still a good idea to know how much it will use in a typical setting.

Energy-saving tips

● To save energy with your oven, ensure you dial the right settings for the meal you are cooking. Most ovens are sold with a guide that lets you know what time and heat to set for specific dishes.

● Also, cook two or more dishes at the same time to conserve energy.

● Avoid opening the oven door while a dish is cooking.

● Another secret would be to add the dishes to the oven once you turn on the oven-preheating often wastes energy unless a specific dish calls for it.

● Another hack is turning off the oven 5 to 10 minutes early. The heat in the oven will continue cooking the food, hence saving energy.

Toaster (1000 to 2000 watts)

Toasters are one of those small kitchen appliances that do not consume a lot of energy. The power rating of a toaster that toasts two slices is 1000 watts, while a four-slice toaster is rated at 2000 watts. To toast bread on both sides, we need 10 minutes at 176 °C. Most toasters consume less energy, and their standby consumption is considered abysmal too.

Energy-saving tips

● Always toast bread in your toaster as opposed to the oven to save on energy. You can save up to 50% of your energy by using your toaster instead of the oven.

● Unplug the toaster when not in use.

● Use the lowest setting possible for the desired toast darkness.

Air conditioner (1200 to 2000 watts)

How much does it cost to run an air conditioner for an hour or a full day? One, it depends on the energy rating of the air conditioner, which is somewhere between 1200 and 2000 watts. In our detailed post, you can also learn more about the air conditioning cost to run.

Energy-saving tips

● You can reduce air conditioner running costs by minimizing humidity in your home. High humidity can make a room feel hotter than it is, hence causing the air conditioner to work twice as hard to cool a room.

● Closing windows and doors to cool a room faster, means using less energy.

● Α good idea with many advantages such as its easy portability is to buy a portable air conditioner.

Kettle (2000 to 3000 watts)

How many watts does a kettle use? Surprisingly, water kettles do consume a lot of energy compared to even an electric oven. The average wattage of a kettle is between 2 kilowatts and 3 kilowatts—way more than the 2.5 kw of a standard oven. A single kettle will use about 6p to boil up to 2 litres of water, and you can expect the kettle to use about a penny to boil one cup of tea.

In addition, it is not uncommon for kettles to consume up to 30 watts of power when on standby. If you leave your kettle constantly plugged in, expect to spend about 44p a year on standby mode.

Energy-saving tips

● Fill the kettle with only the amount of water you intend to use. If you are boiling one cup of water, ensure the kettle is filled below 0.5L.

● Ensure the top lid is closed when boiling water to prevent heat from escaping.

● Store hot water in a thermos to avoid reheating it later.

● Unplug the kettle when not in use.

Water heater (4000 to 6000 watts)

If you are wondering why you pay so much in monthly electricity costs, it could be because of the many showers you take. A standard water heater has an energy rating of, astonishingly, 4000 watts to 6000 watts, making it one of the most energy-hungry appliances in your home.

In an hour, a standard water heater will use approximately 6 kWh of energy.

Energy-saving tip

● Want to save energy with your water heater? Take shorter showers and minimise your showers to at most twice a day. Reducing your shower time by 6 minutes could reduce your daily water heater running cost.

● Lower the temperature on your water heater: Lowering the temperature on your water heater from 60 degrees to 45 degrees Celsius can save you up to 10% in energy costs.

● Insulate the hot water tank and pipes: Insulating the hot water tank and the hot water pipes can reduce your water heater’s energy consumption by 25%.

Dishwasher (1200 to 1800 watts)

Dishwashers have an average wattage of between 1200 watts and 1800 watts. Most dishwashers have a cleaning cycle of 1.5 to 4 hours.

Energy-saving tips

● To save energy with your dishwasher, always fill it.

● The cleaning cycles will be longer or shorter depending on how dirty the dishes are.

● You can scrape food off the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher to save energy.

● Some dishwashers come with an ECO feature that allows the appliance to run for more hours at low temperatures. Activating this feature can help save energy and power costs.

Microwave (800 to 1500 watts)

Unlike ovens, microwaves consume less power, and a typical one uses between 800 and 1500 watts.

Energy-saving tips

● Use the smart oven features to precisely dial in the right temperature and time to cook or warm food.

● Cook food in your microwave instead of the oven. Microwaves do not require preheating like ovens, and they direct heat to the food itself, hence cooking it faster.

Light bulbs (maximum 60 watts)

The energy consumption of light bulbs is a major concern for many people. Incandescent bulbs, for example, use a lot of energy and produce a lot of heat. Halogen bulbs are also relatively inefficient. LED bulbs, on the other hand, are much more efficient and use much less energy. They also produce less heat.

If you are looking to save money on your energy bills, you should consider switching to LED bulbs. LED bulbs are much more efficient than other types of light bulbs, and they will save you money on your energy bills in the long run.

Use our light bulb running cost calculator for the UK (at the end of this article) to estimate the exact electricity cost of running different types of light bulbs in your home.

Energy-saving tips

● Switch to LED bulbs. LED bulbs are the most efficient type of light bulb, using up to 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs. They also last much longer, up to 25 times longer. Some traditional lighting contains mercury, which is toxic to the environment if not disposed of properly. If you want to learn more about the environmental benefits of LED lighting, you can read the article about how LEDs are helping the planet.
Do you need more light? Use LED batten lights.

● Turn off lights when you leave a room. Even if you're only gone for a few minutes, turning off the lights can save you money on your energy bill.

● Use timers and sensors. Timers and sensors can automatically turn lights on and off, so you don't have to worry about it. This is especially helpful if you have lights that you only use occasionally.

● Clean your light bulbs. Dirty light bulbs can reduce the amount of light they produce, so it's important to clean them regularly. You can clean them with a damp cloth or a light bulb cleaning spray.

Air Purifier (40 to 200 watts)

Air purifiers are handy when you want to purify the air in your home from dust, smoke, mould, and other airborne pollutants. In some cases, leaving your air purifier running all day helps make your home breathable, especially if you live with allergy sufferers. So, how much electricity will it cost you to run an air purifier for an hour or a whole day?

Modern air purifiers are energy-efficient and use at most 70 watts to purify air.

Energy-saving tips

● Consider getting a small-sized portable air purifier for smaller spaces. While at it, get a small air purifier with an advanced four-stage filtering system to remove up to 99.99% of airborne impurities. Air purifiers with fewer filters will work twice as hard to filter that many impurities.

● If your filter has varying fan speeds, consider using the lowest speed to conserve energy. A large filter with three fan speeds uses 0.015 kWh on low speed, compared to 0.081 kWh on high speed.

● Explore other ways to reduce air purifier running costs to reduce your monthly energy bills.

Rubbish disposal (700 to 1000 watts)

If you have a rubbish disposal system installed, it probably uses between 700 and 1000 watts. However, it only takes 30 seconds to a minute to completely dispose of food.

Energy-saving tips

● Use cold water to run your rubbish disposal system as opposed to hot water, which requires heating.

● Allow cold water to drain for a few minutes to wash out any residue inside the disposer.

● Turn off the hot water when scrubbing the dishes to conserve energy as well.

Freezer (30 to 100 watts)

How much power does a freezer use? Depending on its size, indoor temperature, and efficiency, a modern freezer will use 30 to 100 watts of power. Fortunately, once freezers reach their maximum freezing temperature, they can be set to run on low power to conserve energy.

Find at the end of this article our freezer running cost calculator.

Energy-saving tips

● Fill your freezer to the maximum to make the most of its cooling features. A full freezer can be switched off, and it keeps food frozen for 24 hours.

● If your freezer is almost empty, consider shifting the remaining items to the freezing compartment in your refrigerator and turning off the freezer to save energy.

Refrigerator (300 to 800 watts)

How much does it cost to run a fridge for 24 hours UK? The fridge's power consumption is between 300 and 800 watts. You can drive energy costs down by switching to a no-frost fridge as opposed to a direct cool fridge.

Energy-saving tips

● Use your refrigerator to defrost food from the freezer to save power.

● If you are buying a fridge, consider one with the highest energy rating.

● Clean the condenser coils regularly. Cleaning the condenser coils regularly will help to improve its efficiency, as dirt can accumulate on the coils and reduce its performance.

● Ensure that the door seals are airtight. Check the door seals on a regular basis to ensure that they remain airtight and that no warm air is entering the refrigerator.

Clothes washer (500 to 1000 watts)

A washing machine or clothes washer uses between 500 watts and 1000 watts for a full wash cycle. The cost of running a clothes washer also depends on the set washing temperature, washing cycles, and amount of load in the washing machine.

Energy-saving tips

● Take advantage of the washing machine’s built-in smart feature to reduce energy consumption.

● Wash clothes at lower temperatures to reduce energy consumption. In addition, choose the correct wash cycle for the clothes you are cleaning; lighter fabrics require few spin cycles compared to heavier fabrics.

● Don’t overload your washing machine. Only fill the washer to the recommended maximum to ensure it uses less energy in its spin cycles and the clothes are properly washed.

Dehumidifier (500 to 1000 watts)

Dehumidifiers are a lifesaver when our homes are too hot and humid to live in. Portable dehumidifiers are the in-thing now since they come with lots of features to reduce energy consumption. Using a quick dehumidifier power consumption calculator UK, a portable dehumidifier on average will use between 500 and 1000 watts of power.

Fortunately, you can further reduce dehumidifier running costs by taking advantage of the smart features that come with it. Modern smart dehumidifiers now have a Wi-Fi connection to remotely control the device. You can monitor humidity and set the ideal running times to ensure your dehumidifier uses less energy.

Energy-saving tips

● Tumble dry your clothes to reduce the amount of moisture released into the environment.

● Place the dehumidifier near the source of moisture for the appliance to work efficiently.  

● If you are using a dehumidifier to dry clothes, place it closer to the laundry to dry clothes faster and reduce energy consumption.

Air Cooler (200 to 400 watts)

An evaporative air cooler is a great alternative to a conventional air conditioner. It draws in warm air, passes it through cooling pads, and expels it out as cold air. It reduces the need for an extraction hose, hence reducing the cost of installing a cooler in your home.

A typical evaporative cooler will use around 400 watts of power.

Energy-saving tips

● Limit sunlight into the room you are trying to cool. The warmth from the sun can raise the heat, causing the cooler to work harder to cool a room.

● Always clean the evaporative cooler to remove any impurities that may have accumulated inside the appliance. A clean evaporative cooler will always work efficiently.

LED TV (60 to 400 watts)

A normal LED TV uses between 60 watts and 400 watts of power when you leave it running for an hour. Smart TVs with advanced features for reducing energy consumption may cost less to run. Also note that the bigger the TV, the more power it is likely to consume. 

How many watts does a TV use when it's on standby? The standard LED TV standby power consumption is 0.5 watts, while a smart TV will use about 5 watts of power on standby mode.

Energy-saving tips

● Turn on the auto-brightness feature whenever necessary to conserve power.

● Switch to picture-off mode or sleep mode to automatically switch off the TV or set it to standby when you are not watching.

● It also pays to unplug the TV when not in use to save energy.

Gas central heating (~60 watts)

A standard gas central heat pump will use 60 watts of energy to heat water, which is way lower compared to using other water heating solutions. Note that the cost of running a gas heater will vary depending on the pump's size and speed, too. Use any online gas central heating cost calculator to determine how your gas heater compares to other heating methods like electric boilers and kettles.

Do you need an electric boiler running cost calculator? Find it at the end of this article!

Energy-saving tips

● Set the correct room temperature, using the room thermostat, to reduce the amount of fuel used for heating.

● Install smart control features on your gas heater to further reduce energy consumption.

Underfloor heating (65 to 85W/m²)

Some UK homes are fitted with underfloor heating, which comprises a series of flexible tubes installed underneath the floor. Hot water flows through these pipes, heating the floor above. Underfloor heating can be expensive to install, and it may cost more to run underfloor heating compared to a cheaper tubular heater.

You can calculate how much power underfloor heating uses by using the standard underfloor heating cost calculator for the UK which multiplies a room's square metre with the wattage rating of the underfloor heating mat. That is room in ㎡ x heating matt wattage

Energy-saving tip

● Install a thermostat that can be programmed to adjust the temperature of the underfloor heating system to suit your needs and reduce energy consumption when you don't need it.

● Utilise an insulation layer between the floor and the underfloor heating system to reduce heat loss and keep the temperature consistent.

● Underfloor heating systems are effective when heating a large area. However, you can save on energy costs by installing a tubular heater which can be installed close to the floor. A tubular heater will warm the floor of specific rooms, further driving down energy costs.

Echo dot (4th gen) (15 watts)

One cool device making our homes smarter is the Echo Dot smart speaker. It not only plays music from your favourite streaming services, but it also connects to and controls other smart devices in your home. However, what is the echo dot energy consumption UK kWh rating?

As a small home device, the Echo Dot speaker only consumes 15 watts of power when in operation. You can have up to 5 echo dots running in your home and the power consumption will still be minimal.

Energy-saving tips

● The 4th generation echo dots have additional smart features to reduce power consumption.

● Make use of the “off mode” features, which switch the device to a low power consumption of 0.16 watts.

● You can use the in-built microphone in the device to control its operation and reduce power consumption to 1.40 watts.

How to Save Energy at Home: The Top Tips

1) Unplug unused appliances

Any appliance that shouldn’t stay on, like your toaster, kettle, or microwave, should be unplugged from the mains power. All appliances are known to use energy even while on standby, which, when combined, can cost a lot in energy bills annually.

2) Use timers and smart plugs

Take advantage of the smart features in your appliances to minimise energy consumption. Ovens, microwaves, and washing machines, to mention a few, have smart timers that allow you to set the appliance's running time. You can set when the appliance comes on and when it switches off once it achieves its objective.

Another cool trick is installing smart plugs in your home. Smart plugs work like your normal plug, except that they have additional features like Wi-Fi to control how much power goes to your appliances. Smart plugs connect to a mobile app on your phone or tablet, allowing you to turn on or cut the power supply when needed to save energy.

3) Use energy-efficient appliances

With rising electricity costs, a lot of UK homes are having a hard time keeping up with their monthly bills. However, you can avoid the struggle by switching to energy-efficient appliances. These are the appliances with the highest energy rating on the market. For instance, an appliance with an A++ rating is more energy efficient compared to an F-rated appliance.

4) Use natural light whenever possible

Summer is a great time to reduce energy consumption by taking advantage of natural lighting. Open your curtains and windows during the day to let in light and reduce the need to keep your natural light LED batten on. Also, the warm rays from the sun can help reduce indoor dampness, reducing the need to leave your dehumidifier running.

5) Upgrade your insulation

As we mentioned before, another factor affecting energy consumption and the cost of running appliances is how well-insulated your home or property is. There are plenty of materials you can use to insulate your home, and the material comes with an R-value rating for energy efficiency. The higher the value, the more effective the material is at reducing heat loss.

Here is a quick guide to help you choose the best insulating material

6) Install energy-conserving windows

Most windows in our homes are single-pane and are known to have a 20–30% loss in heating and cooling. You can mitigate this by installing double-pane windows, which are more energy-efficient and can reduce heat loss by 30%. Double-pane windows also act as a cooling solution in summer, as they prevent the heat from entering your home and keep the indoor temperature comfortable.

7) Tumble dry when necessary

Only tumble dry in cold and highly humid months. In summer, take advantage of the sun by drying your laundry outside. You can save up to £70 a year by drying clothes outside.

8) Seal your windows and doors

Cracks or openings in doors and windows are common avenues for heat or cold air to escape outside. Drought-proof all doors and windows to prevent heat loss. Also, check for gaps in the floor where heat can escape.

9) Get a smart portable air conditioner

Consider getting a smart portable air conditioner as a cost-effective alternative to ceiling fans and central cooling systems. Choose a portable AC with a higher BTU rating to cool a room faster and reduce energy consumption if you will leave it running for more than an hour. You can use any online BTU-to-watts calculator to check the energy efficiency of a portable air conditioner before buying it. Get more information about the air conditioning running cost from our specific blog post!

For even smaller cooling needs, consider getting a portable room fan with much less running cost than the other solutions.

10) Replace your old lighting

Consider replacing fluorescents and incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient lighting like LED batten lights. A single batten light produces up to 1800 lumens of light, a brightness that rivals two incandescent bulbs, and it only consumes 18 watts of power.

Conclusion

With increasing energy costs in the UK, you need all the tips you can get to save energy while enjoying the appliances in your home. Use our 10 tips for reducing energy costs at home to get you in the right direction. Rely on our Morris appliance running cost calculator UK below to determine how much your appliances contribute to your monthly energy bills.

Use this for your energy calculations!

Our energy calculator allows you to calculate the running cost of any electrical items. To use it:

1. Enter the energy consumption of your appliance (in Watts).

2. Enter the minutes or hours of usage.

3. Click on the "Minutes" or "Hours" button.

4. The result of the power consumption calculator will be displayed on the screen.