Many households across Ireland are struggling with the cost of living crisis, with energy bills in particular a cause for concern heading into the winter months.
People are trying to cut costs where possible, and one way to do so is by being energy efficient in the kitchen.
A lot of households have no idea how much they are really forking out by using appliances like ovens, toasters, microwaves and kettles.
READ MORE: Exact cost of using an air fryer, oven and microwave in Ireland - with one much cheaper
With this in mind, new research by Energia has revealed the appliances which are costing the most on electricity bills in Ireland.
Its team of experts calculated exactly how much appliances use electricity-wise, and subsequently what that would look like cost-wise per hour of usage.
They looked at eight common kitchen items - an electric kettle, coffee machine, air fryer, dishwasher, oven, induction cooktop, electric hob and dishwasher.
While most people would think an oven is the most expensive kitchen appliance to run, the dishwasher and electric hob topped the list.
On the other end of the scale, the electric kettle and toaster were the cheapest.
Energia has also broken down the costs into how long each item is typically used for.
Electric kettle - 6c
The average energy usage (wattage) for an electric kettle is 2100, meaning it costs 78 cent to run per hour. Therefore, boiling the kettle for five minutes would cost you 6 cent.
Four-slice toaster - 11c
The average energy usage (wattage) for a four-slice toaster is 1850, meaning it costs 68 cent to run per hour. Therefore, using a toaster for 10 minutes would cost you 11 cent.
Coffee machine - 13c
The average energy usage (wattage) for an Espresso coffee machine is 1400, meaning it costs 52 cent to run per hour. Therefore, using one for 15 minutes would cost you 13 cent.
Air fryer - 28c
The average energy usage (wattage) for an air fryer is 1500, meaning it costs 56 cent to run per hour. Therefore, using one for 30 minutes would cost you 28 cent.
Oven - 58c
The average energy usage (wattage) for an oven is 1575, meaning it costs 58 cent to run per hour.
Induction cooktop - 63c
The average energy usage (wattage) for an induction cooktop is 1700, meaning it costs 63 cent to run per hour.
Dishwasher (C rated) - 65c
The average energy usage (wattage) for a C-rated dishwasher is 1500, meaning it costs 65 cent to run per hour on a standard 65C wash.
Electric hob - 74c
The average energy usage (wattage) for an electric hob is 2000, meaning it costs 74 cent to run per hour.
The costs are based on a unit rate cost of 37 cents as of October 7, 2022.
Meanwhile, the experts have also provided some tips to reduce energy use in the kitchen.
They’ve listed five quick and simple things you can do to keep costs down.
- Use the microwave (2 cent per hour) instead of the oven (68 cent per hour).
- Use lids on saucepans to speed up cooking times and steam your vegetables over a pot that’s already in use.
- Use a slow cooker. Six hours can cost as little as 55 cent, whereas an oven could cost €3.49. That’s a saving of 84%.
- Use a steamer. They enable you to cook your whole meal on one hob and save nutrients.
- Switch off your oven 10 minutes early. It should retain its heat.
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