Watching your smart meter display has become a national obsession, as we worry about the cost of running our essential home appliances since new energy costs clicked into place at the beginning of the month.
From washing the dishes to settling down to night in front of the TV, we're probably never been as aware of the price of gas and electricity as we are now, and the internet is awash with dubious ways to save cash, such as using candles instead of lights and using barbecues instead of cookers.
There's no doubt we are facing higher energy bills than we were last year, albeit not as high as we would have been without the £400 cost of living payment and the energy price guarantee (EPG). The EPG caps average usage at £2,500 instead of the £3,549 the energy price cap was due to reach in October. But even deducting the £400 rebate, paid monthly until March 2023, the average costs still stands at £1,900 compared to £1,277 a year last winter.
Read more: Ovens and washers are ditched as cash-strapped families count cost of rising bills
Most households know that taking long soaks if you have an electric shower are costly and tumble dryers are standing unused all over the UK as households turn to heated airers and dehumidifiers to get washing dry. But although many families have switched to air fryers instead of cookers and are using electric blankets instead of heating, most are doing it on the back of recommendations without working out for themselves what the cheapest option is for their particular set of circumstances.
Knowledge is power, so it's useful to know how to work out how much something is costing you to run, so you can make the decision for yourself if it's worth the cost for your circumstances.
To work out how much power your appliance is using, you need three pieces of information:
- The power rating of the appliance: Every appliance has a power rating, usually given in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) - 1000W = 1kW. This is the measure that tells you how much electricity the appliance needs to work.
- How many hours you use the appliance per day
- How much you are paying for one KWH (or unit) of electricity
Once you have all the information to hand, the calculation is:
(Device's wattage) x (the number of hours you use it per day) x (the cost of electricity per KWH).
So, taking an average air fryer wattage at 1500W (or 1.5KWH) and the average price of electricity at 34p per KHW, the calculation would be:
1.5W x 1 hour x 34p= roughly 51p to use the air fryer for one hour.
Once you have worked out the hourly cost, you can make an informed decision on where to potentially cut back.
Of course, knowing how much something costs to run per hour is only half the story. Kettles and hairdryers are two of the energy-hungriest machines in your home, but are normally only used for 5-10 minute bursts, so although the KWH of a kettle at 3KWH or a hairdryer at 2KWH are as high if not higher than ovens, hobs, dishwashers and washing machines, the actual amount of time they are in use makes them less likely to make a big impact on your costs if you cut down their use.
By knowing exactly how much your particular appliances cost to run, you can the decide whether it's worth juggling a Sunday roast for six in your air fryer when it might cost less to put everything in the the oven, or whether it's worth having a house full of wet washing when putting it in the tumble dryer might only cost you a few pence more than a heated airer in use overnight.
Of course, the KWH rating of appliances differ wildly depending on the brand and its age. Generally speaking, newer appliances tend to be more energy-efficient than older ones, so it might be worth looking into renewing some appliances if they are past their best, especially fridges and freezers, which are plugged in 24 hours a day and can really eat up electricity if you have a power-hungry model.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy advises: "When you're buying a new appliance have a look at the energy efficiency label. Those rated A or above are the most efficient for their size."
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