It's well known that the UK is facing a 40-year high in terms of the level of inflation and that is putting a squeeze on people's finances. Arguably chief among that is the cost of powering our homes with gas, electricity, or both.
While before the current energy prices a good way to save money would be to switch suppliers and find a cheap fixed-price deal for maybe two or three years, that option is currently off the table as prices are being governed by the maximum price cap set by regulator Ofgem. The bad news is the cap is set to rise once more in October, with it predicted to be £3,359 for the average household - two-and-a-half times what it was before the pandemic.
So while there's little that can be done about the cost of energy, the thing that people still do control is how much of it they use. Right now, the efficient use of energy is more important than ever - and it's good for the environment as well as your wallet.
With that in mind, experts Uswitch have dug deep into exactly how much power everyday appliances use. The cost of different appliances in each room have been determined using the average power rating and the cost is based on the current energy price cap.
For the full tables, see Uswitch's Power House report.
Kitchen
We tend to spend most of our time in the kitchen, so a lot of a household’s energy usage is going to come from the various appliances used in cooking or storing food. According to the data, using the hob is likely to use the most energy and cost the most money, whether you’re using a gas or electric version.
Uswitch says gas uses 9.75 kWh, which can be extrapolated to a yearly cost of £143.28, while electricity uses 8.58 kWh and costs £126.85 per year. Fridges, freezers and kettles all cost around £75 per year, while the lowest-cost appliance is an ice cream maker, which uses 0.035 kWh and costs 52p per year.
Living room
As one of the most-used rooms in the house, living rooms account for a significant chunk of a home’s energy usage as well. According to the data, a built-in air conditioning system in the living room uses an average of 7.29 kWh and costs £106.01 each year. At the cheaper end of the scale - though they’re being increasingly passed over in favour of streaming - are DVD and Blu-Ray players, which use an average of 0.015 kWh and cost around 22p per year.
Bedroom
Air conditioning isn’t limited to the living room - when it comes to bedroom comfort, a built-in air conditioning system can be invaluable, especially during a heatwave. While only 3% of the population have one, its average kWh use is 7.29 kWh, which means an average yearly cost of £106.40. During the winter, a plug-in electric heater can be equally useful in ensuring a comfortable night’s sleep, but with average use of 3 kWh, it will cost £43 per year.
Bathroom
In the bathroom, an electric shower uses the most energy according to the data - with an average use of 10.5 kWh, this translates into an average cost of £3.07 per week for UK households. Conversely, a gas shower costs £1.48 on average each week. At the other end of the scale, electric hair straighteners and curlers use 0.0416 kWh each week, translating into a yearly cost of 64p.
Garden
Most people don’t necessarily think of gardens having appliances in the same way that kitchens and bathrooms do, but whatever a hot tub or a barbecue might be categorised as, their energy cost is still something to be aware of. An electric barbecue uses 3.3 kWh, which costs the average household 95p per week or £49.28 per year, while a hot tub is only marginally cheaper at £46.16 per year from an average kWh use of 3.2 kWh. The cheapest garden appliance is a plug-in water feature, which has an average yearly cost of £1.42.
Uswitch's tips on how to reduce appliance energy usage
Choose appliances with a high energy efficiency rating wherever possible - A-rated devices are the most energy-efficient
Turn appliances off at the plug when you aren’t using them
Switch off lights when leaving the room
Swap halogen light bulbs for LED versions which last longer and cost less in the long-term
If possible, set a heating schedule for the times when you’re using certain rooms or know you’ll be at home
You can find Uswitch’s list of more than 100 energy-saving tips for all budgets here.
