Most of us know roughly what a boiler costs to run and almost nothing about the machines doing the rest of the work. That matters, because appliances you use daily can add up to hundreds of pounds a year. The good news is that appliance running costs in the UK follow a simple formula, and once you have it you can price any kettle, dryer or air fryer in your home in about a minute.
The short answer: the biggest hitters are the tumble dryer, electric shower, oven and anything left on all day, and the cost of each is the kilowatt-hours it uses multiplied by your unit rate. Everything in the table below is worked at an example rate of 25p per kWh, so swap in the rate on your own bill.
The formula that prices everything
Appliance cost = kilowatts × hours used × your price per kWh.
A 2kW hairdryer used for half an hour uses 1 kWh. At 25p per kWh, that is 25p. A 100 watt television is 0.1kW, so four hours is 0.4 kWh and costs 10p. To convert watts to kilowatts, divide by 1,000. Your unit rate is on your bill or in your supplier’s app, and it is the number that changes when the energy price cap moves.
The wattage is on the label, usually on the back or underneath, or in the manual. For anything with a thermostat, such as a fridge or oven, it only draws full power part of the time, so the real use is lower than the label implies.
What each appliance costs to run
These are typical figures for a standard household appliance. Your own models and settings will vary.
Appliance
Typical use
Energy used
Cost at 25p/kWh
Condenser tumble dryer
One full load
4.0 kWh
£1.00
Heat pump tumble dryer
One full load
1.5 kWh
38p
Electric shower (8.5kW)
8 minutes
1.1 kWh
28p
Iron
One hour
2.4 kWh
60p
Electric oven
One hour at 180°C
1.5 kWh
38p
Dishwasher
One eco cycle
1.0 kWh
25p
Washing machine (40°C)
One cycle
0.8 kWh
20p
Air fryer
20 minutes
0.5 kWh
13p
Television
Four hours
0.4 kWh
10p
Laptop
Eight hours
0.4 kWh
10p
Hairdryer
10 minutes
0.3 kWh
8p
Kettle
One full boil
0.15 kWh
4p
Microwave
Five minutes
0.07 kWh
2p
Fridge-freezer
One year
250 kWh
£62
The five that cost more than people think
1. The tumble dryer
A condenser dryer at £1 a load looks cheap until you use it four times a week. That is about £200 a year, for a machine that does what a washing line does for nothing. A heat pump dryer uses roughly a third of the energy, and pays back if you dry a lot. In winter, a heated airer or a dehumidifier can be cheaper than a vented dryer, though you must ventilate to avoid condensation. Drying clothes indoors adds moisture to the air, so open a window or run an extractor fan.
2. The electric shower
At 8.5kW, an electric shower is the highest-wattage thing in many homes. Eight minutes costs 28p, so a household of four showering once a day spends over £400 a year. Cutting two minutes from each shower trims the bill by a quarter.
3. The fridge-freezer
It runs 24 hours a day, so a modern efficient model at about £60 a year is a bargain, but a 15-year-old chest freezer in the garage can cost two or three times as much. If you have an old one, check its energy label before assuming it is fine.
4. The oven
Cooking one meal in a full-size oven costs around 38p per hour. Using a microwave, air fryer or slow cooker for small meals is cheaper, and batch cooking makes better use of the heat.
5. Standby and always-on kit
Consoles, set-top boxes, chargers and old stereos each draw a small amount, but together they add up to a noticeable sum over the year. A smart plug with energy monitoring shows you exactly which devices are worth switching off.
Easy ways to cut the cost
You rarely need to buy anything new to bring these numbers down.
Wash at 30°C or 40°C with a full drum. Most of a wash cycle’s energy goes on heating the water.
Use the eco programme on the dishwasher and run it only when full.
Spin clothes harder before drying, so the dryer has less water to remove.
Defrost the freezer and keep the fridge at 3 to 5°C, because a thick layer of ice makes the compressor work harder.
Put the lid on pans and use the smallest hob ring that fits.
The air fryer question
My view: an air fryer is the one kitchen gadget that usually earns its keep, because for most meals for one to three people it beats a full-size oven on cost, and heats up in minutes. At about 13p for a 20 minute cook, it undercuts the oven for small portions. It does not make sense for a family roast or a big batch of trays, where the oven holds more for the same energy.
Why winter changes the picture
Appliance use is seasonal. From October the tumble dryer runs more because washing cannot dry outside, the oven and kettle get more use, and lights are on for longer evenings. Dehumidifiers, heated airers and fan heaters join the list, and each of those draws between 200 watts and 2kW. A 2kW fan heater run for three hours costs about £1.50 at the example rate, which is why a plug-in heater used as the main heating can quickly become the most expensive thing in the house. Before the cold sets in, decide which of these you really need and when you will use them.
How to see your real numbers
Estimates are useful, but your own readings are better.
Plug-in energy monitors show exactly how much any appliance uses, for a few pounds.
A smart meter with an in-home display shows your live use, so you can watch the spike when the kettle goes on. Our guide on whether smart meters save money explains what they do and do not tell you.
Your supplier’s app often shows use by half hour, which reveals what runs overnight.
If your largest load is heating rather than appliances, read our figures on electric heating cost, and for the wider picture see how to reduce winter energy bills.
What to do in the next 30 minutes
Find your unit rate (pence per kWh) on your latest bill or in your supplier’s app.
Check the wattage label on your tumble dryer, oven and electric shower.
Work out the cost of one tumble dryer load and one shower at your own rate.
Look for appliances left on standby overnight and switch off the worst offenders.
Check how old your fridge-freezer is, and read its energy label.
Costs rise and fall with the seasons, so set seasonal reminders in Home+ for a quarterly meter reading and an annual appliance check, and keep your energy records in one place.
FAQ
How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer? A condenser dryer uses around 4 kWh a load, which is about £1 at an example rate of 25p per kWh. A heat pump dryer uses roughly 1.5 kWh.
How do I work out what an appliance costs to run? Multiply the appliance’s power in kilowatts by the hours of use and by your price per kWh. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts.
Is an air fryer cheaper than an oven? For small portions, yes, usually by a good margin, because it heats a small space quickly. For large meals the oven can be more efficient per portion.
Which appliance uses the most electricity at home? In many homes it is the electric shower per use, and the fridge-freezer over the year because it never switches off. After that come the tumble dryer, oven and any electric heating.
Does leaving things on standby cost much? Each device uses little, but a houseful adds up over a year. A smart plug or a plug-in monitor shows which ones are worth switching off at the wall.
What is my unit rate? It is the price in pence per kWh on your bill or in your supplier’s app. The regulator sets a cap on the maximum unit rate for standard variable tariffs.
