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Our energy experts investigate which appliances in the home have the biggest impact on energy bills and offers tips on how to use less energy to save money.
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With energy prices still high, there are limited options for both saving money and limiting your impact on the environment. While there are fixed energy deals available from various green energy suppliers, but this is no longer the case.
However, there are still some practical things you can do at home to use less energy, help the environment and save money on your bills while you wait for deals from renewable energy providers to return.
Our Power House report will show you how much energy your everyday appliances use to help you see if you can run your home more efficiently.
Not only have we collated a table below which lists the cost of different appliances in each room using their average power rating but we have also created the ‘Uswitch cost of running household appliances calculator’ to make it even easier to see which appliances and rooms in your home are costing you the most.
All costs are based on the average unit rates according to the current energy price cap.
Cost of running household appliances calculator
Our handy tool helps you calculate the cost of running household appliances in each room of your home.
Simply select the different appliances and how long you use them and the calculator will provide an estimated individual appliance and total cost, broken down room by room.
Using the cost of running household appliances calculator, you can see how making small changes to how you use household appliances can affect your energy costs.
The table below lists the cost of different appliances in each room using their average power rating and the costs are based on the average unit rates according to the energy price cap, which is set at £1,928 until 31 March 2024.
Which kitchen appliances use the most energy?
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 cost the most money at £79.89 per year. Freezers are more expensive to use than fridges (at £68.36 and £40.67 per year respectively), while the lowest-cost appliance is an ice cream maker, which uses 0.035 kWh and costs 45p per year.
Room
Device
Av. minutes used per week
Cost per hour/cycle (£)
Cost per week per household
Cost per year per household
Kitchen/utility room
Air fryer
102
£0.34
£0.58
£30.32
Kitchen/utility room
Breadmaker
78
£0.13
£0.18
£9.11
Kitchen/utility room
Coffee maker
60
£0.31
£0.31
£15.93
Kitchen/utility room
Dishwasher
210
£0.19 per cycle
£0.68
£35.23
Kitchen/utility room
Electric blender/juicer
31.9
£0.17
£0.09
£4.74
Kitchen/utility room
Electric dryer/airer (heated drying rack for clothes)
116.1
£0.07
£0.14
£7.40
Kitchen/utility room
Electric hob
158.4
£0.56
£1.49
£77.36
Kitchen/utility room
Freezer
10080
£0.01
£1.31
£68.36
Kitchen/utility room
Fridge
10080
£0.78
£40.67
Kitchen/utility room
Fridge/freezer
10080
£1.16
£60.15
Kitchen/utility room
Heated clothes rack
114
£0.07
£0.14
£7.26
Kitchen/utility room
Hob (average)
150
£0.88
£1.54
£79.89
Kitchen/utility room
Ice cream maker
42.6
£0.01
£0.01
£0.45
Kitchen/utility room
Iron
52.2
£0.76
£0.66
£34.36
Kitchen/utility room
Kettle
120
£0.73
£1.47
£76.44
Kitchen/utility room
Microwave
96
£0.25
£0.39
£20.38
Kitchen/utility room
Oven (electric/fan)
180
£0.15
£0.46
£24.08
Kitchen/utility room
Pressure cooker
54
£0.88
£0.79
£41.28
Kitchen/utility room
Slow cooker
108
£0.08
£0.14
£7.34
Kitchen/utility room
Steamer
10
£0.25
£0.07
£3.82
Kitchen/utility room
Toastie maker
32.2
£0.25
£0.13
£6.84
Kitchen/utility room
Tumble dryer
150.0
£0.74 per cycle
£1.53
£79.63
Kitchen/utility room
Vacuum cleaner
69.1
£0.04
£0.04
£2.20
Kitchen/utility room
Washing machine
210
£0.17 per cycle
£0.61
£31.75
Which living room appliances use the most energy?
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 costs £116.95 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 cost around 20p per year.
Room
Device
Av. minutes used per week
Cost per hour/cycle (£)
Cost per week per household
Cost per year per household
Living room
Amp
171.5
£0.04
£0.11
£5.46
Living room
Amplifier
95.2
£0.04
£0.06
£3.03
Living room
Built-in air con system
204
£0.66
£2.25
£116.95
Living room
CD player
101.7
£0.003
£0.00
£0.22
Living room
Computer and monitor
373.7
£0.02
£0.10
£5.16
Living room
Dehumidifier
180
£0.09
£0.26
£13.38
Living room
Desktop fan
84
£0.01
£0.01
£0.62
Living room
DVD/Blu-ray player
93.1
£0.003
£0.00
£0.20
Living room
Fish tank (with filters & light)
341.6
£0.04
£0.21
£10.88
Living room
Games console
215.6
£0.05
£0.18
£9.11
Living room
Internet router (Wi-Fi)
486.4
£0.002
£0.30
£15.84
Living room
Lamp
312.7
£0.003
£0.02
£0.93
Living room
Laptop
331.6
£0.02
£0.12
£6.37
Living room
Phone charger
235.3
£0.001
£0.00
£0.18
Living room
Plug-in electric heater
60
£0.49
£0.49
£25.48
Living room
Portable air con unit
72
£0.25
£0.29
£15.29
Living room
Record player
79.7
£0.003
£0.00
£0.17
Living room
Smart speaker/Virtual home assistant (e.g. Alexa)
145.7
£0.004
£0.01
£0.46
Living room
Speakers
193.9
£0.003
£0.01
£0.41
Living room
TV
451.5
£0.02
£0.18
£9.30
Living room
Virtual home assistant (eg Alexa)
128.8
£0.004
£0.01
£0.41
Which bedroom appliances use the most energy?
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, but during the winter, a plug-in electric heater, which costs £25.48 per year, can be equally useful in ensuring a comfortable night’s sleep.
Room
Device
Av. minutes used per week
Cost per hour/cycle (£)
Cost per week per household
Cost per year per household
Bedroom
Amp
171.5
£0.04
£0.11
£5.46
Bedroom
Amplifier
95.2
£0.04
£0.06
£3.03
Bedroom
Built-in air con system
204
£0.66
£2.25
£116.95
Bedroom
CD player
101.7
£0.003
£0.00
£0.22
Bedroom
Computer and monitor
373.7
£0.02
£0.10
£5.16
Bedroom
Desktop fan
84
£0.01
£0.01
£0.62
Bedroom
Electric blanket
102
£0.02
£0.04
£2.17
Bedroom
Games console
215.6
£0.05
£0.18
£9.11
Bedroom
Hair curlers/straighteners
50.5
£0.01
£0.01
£0.56
Bedroom
Hair dryer
43.9
£0.44
£0.32
£16.78
Bedroom
Lamp
312.7
£0.003
£0.02
£0.93
Bedroom
Laptop
331.6
£0.02
£0.12
£6.37
Bedroom
Phone charger
277.9
£0.001
£0.00
£0.22
Bedroom
Plug-in electric heater
60
£0.49
£0.49
£25.48
Bedroom
Portable air con unit
72
£0.25
£0.29
£15.29
Bedroom
Record player
79.5
£0.003
£0.00
£0.17
Bedroom
Smart speaker/Virtual home assistant (e.g. Alexa)
118
£0.004
£0.01
£0.38
Bedroom
TV
389.9
£0.02
£0.15
£8.03
Which bathroom appliances use the most energy?
In the bathroom, an electric shower uses the most energy according to the data - with an average use of 7.5 kWh, this translates into an average cost of £3.68 per week for UK households. Conversely, a gas shower costs £1.48 on average each week.
Room
Device
Av. minutes used per week
Cost per hour/cycle (£)
Cost per week per household
Cost per year per household
Bathroom
Bath
90.0
N/A
£0.56
£29.12
Bathroom
Electric razor
39.3
£0.01
£0.01
£0.33
Bathroom
Electric toothbrush
51.9
£0.00
£0.00
£0.07
Bathroom
Shower (electric)
120.0
£1.84
£3.68
£191.10
Bathroom
Shower (gas)
120.0
£1.48
£76.96
Which garden appliances use the most energy?
Most people don’t necessarily think of gardens having appliances in the same way that kitchens and bathrooms do, but however a hot tub or a barbecue might be categorised, their energy cost is still something to be aware of. An electric barbecue uses 2.2 kWh, which costs the average household 83p per week or £43.12 per year. The cheapest garden appliance is a plug-in water feature, which has an average yearly cost of £1.24.
Room
Device
Av. minutes used per week
Cost per hour/cycle (£)
Cost per week per household
Cost per year per household
Garden
Electric barbecue
92.3
£0.54
£0.83
£43.12
Garden
Electric lawn mower
33.1
£0.39
£0.22
£11.25
Garden
Electric lights
140
£0.03
£0.07
£3.72
Garden
Hot tub
204
£0.49
£1.67
£86.63
Garden
Plug-in water feature
132.8
£0.01
£0.02
£1.24
See full appliance energy usage data here
Home appliance energy usage
Room
Device / Appliance
Average minutes used per week
Cost per week per household
Cost per year per household
Cost per week for country
Cost per year for country
Kitchen/utility room
Air fryer
85.4
£0.60
£31.20
£4,383,541
£227,944,135
Bedroom
Amp
171.5
£0.13
£6.71
£181,381
£9,431,799
Living room
Amp
171.5
£0.13
£6.71
£181,381
£9,431,799
Bedroom
Amplifier
95.2
£0.07
£3.73
£100,685
£5,235,611
Living room
Amplifier
95.2
£0.07
£3.73
£100,685
£5,235,611
Bathroom
Bath
71.7
£0.56
£29.12
£11,015,200
£572,790,400
Kitchen/utility room
Breadmaker
78
£0.22
£11.19
£907,433
£47,186,495
Living room
Built-in air con system
162.4
£2.20
£114.42
£1,854,970
£96,458,435
Bedroom
Built-in air con system
162.4
£2.20
£114.42
£1,854,970
£96,458,435
Living room
CD player
101.7
£0.01
£0.27
£15,775
£820,319
Bedroom
CD player
101.7
£0.01
£0.27
£15,775
£820,319
Kitchen/utility room
Coffee maker
60
£0.38
£19.57
£4,230,455
£219,983,660
Living room
Computer and monitor
373.7
£0.12
£6.34
£479,546
£24,936,394
Bedroom
Computer and monitor
373.7
£0.12
£6.34
£479,546
£24,936,394
Bedroom
Dehumidifier
184.7
£0.32
£16.87
£729,274
£37,922,250
Living room
Dehumidifier
184.7
£0.32
£16.87
£729,274
£37,922,250
Bedroom
Desktop fan
103.8
£0.02
£0.95
£71,723
£3,729,603
Living room
Desktop fan
103.8
£0.02
£0.95
£71,723
£3,729,603
Kitchen/utility room
Dishwasher
198
£0.78
£40.82
£10,146,492
£527,617,609
Living room
DVD/blu-ray player
93.1
£0.00
£0.24
£15,754
£819,219
Bedroom
DVD/blu-ray player
93.1
£0.00
£0.24
£15,754
£819,219
Garden
Electric barbeque
92.3
£1.02
£52.99
£1,145,382
£59,559,843
Bedroom
Electric blanket
147.3
£0.07
£3.84
£249,258
£12,961,437
Kitchen/utility room
Electric blender/juicer
31.9
£0.11
£5.83
£1,259,547
£65,496,468
Kitchen/utility room
Electric dryer / airer (heated drying rack for clothes)
116.1
£0.17
£9.09
£392,925
£20,432,082
Kitchen/utility room
Electric hob
158.4
£1.83
£95.07
£20,549,858
£1,068,592,627
Garden
Electric lawn mower
33.1
£0.27
£13.82
£2,165,767
£112,619,901
Garden
Electric lights
140
£0.09
£4.57
£320,810
£16,682,094
Bathroom
Electric razor
39.3
£0.01
£0.41
£48,769
£2,535,972
Bathroom
Electric toothbrush
51.9
£0.00
£0.08
£24,602
£1,279,290
Living room
Fish tank (with filters & light)
341.6
£0.26
£13.37
£361,281
£18,786,605
Kitchen/utility room
Freezer
10080
£1.82
94.86
£41,521,317
£2,159,108,460
Kitchen/utility room
Fridge
10080
£1.09
56.44
£27,144,384
£1,411,507,960
Kitchen/utility room
Fridge/freezer
10080
£1.61
83.47
£36,535,782
1899860670
Living room
Games console
215.6
£0.22
£11.20
£1,149,533
£59,775,691
Bedroom
Games console
215.6
£0.22
£11.20
£1,149,533
£59,775,691
Bedroom
Hair curlers/straighteners
50.5
£0.01
£0.69
£40,734
£2,118,149
Bedroom
Hair dryer
43.9
£0.40
£20.62
£2,005,743
£104,298,653
Kitchen/utility room
Hob (average)
£92.18
£1.54
£79.89
£37,126,335
£1,930,569,443
Garden
Hot tub
95.1
£0.95
£49.63
£1,341,054
£69,734,820
Kitchen/utility room
Ice cream maker
42.6
£0.01
£0.56
£21,025
£1,093,319
Living room
Internet router (Wi-Fi)
486.4
£0.37
£19.47
£5,680,046
£295,362,381
Kitchen/utility room
Iron
52.2
£0.81
£42.23
£13,919,635
£723,821,036
Kitchen/utility room
Kettle
105.1
£1.58
£82.28
£38,682,011
£2,011,464,592
Bedroom
Lamp
312.7
£0.02
£1.14
£333,362
£17,334,800
Living room
Lamp
312.7
£0.02
£1.14
£333,362
£17,334,800
Bedroom
Laptop
331.6
£0.15
£7.83
£1,607,573
£83,593,791
Living room
Laptop
331.6
£0.15
£7.83
£1,607,573
£83,593,791
Kitchen/utility room
Microwave
65.3
£0.33
£17.04
£7,919,130
£411,794,746
Kitchen/utility room
One gas hob
151.4
£0.00
£0.19
£47,765
£2,483,800
Kitchen/utility room
Oven (electric/fan)
182.6
£0.58
£30.02
£14,275,450
£742,323,422
Bedroom
Phone charger
277.9
£0.01
£0.27
£74,990
£3,899,500
Living room
Phone charger
235.3
£0.00
£0.23
£56,169
£2,920,766
Living room
Plug-in electric heater
101.8
£1.02
£53.13
£2,296,855
£119,436,462
Bedroom
Plug-in electric heater
88.6
£0.89
£46.24
£2,248,910
£116,943,314
Garden
Plug-in water feature
132.8
£0.03
£1.52
£57,679
£2,999,287
Living room
Portable air con unit
140.6
£0.71
£36.69
£396,535
£20,619,802
Bedroom
Portable air con unit
106.6
£0.53
£27.82
£601,289
£31,267,011
Bedroom
Record player
79.7
£0.00
£0.21
£7,867
£409,096
Living room
Record player
79.5
£0.00
£0.21
£12,332
£641,252
Bathroom
Shower (electric)
87.6
£3.30
£171.45
£78,749,920
£4,094,995,831
Bathroom
Shower (gas)
87.6
£1.48
£76.96
£35,349,800
£1,838,189,600
Kitchen/utility room
Slow cooker
101.2
£0.16
£8.45
£2,054,986
£106,859,263
Kitchen/utility room
Smart speaker/Virtual home assistant (eg Alexa)
145.7
£0.01
£0.57
£80,129
£4,166,711
Bedroom
Smart speaker/Virtual home assistant (eg Alexa)
118
£0.01
£0.46
£44,927
£2,336,226
Living room
Speakers
193.9
£0.01
£0.51
£65,623
£3,412,387
Kitchen/utility room
Steamer
10
£0.09
£4.70
£0
£0
Kitchen/utility room
Toastie Maker/Grill
32.2
£0.16
£8.40
£2,224,937
£115,696,740
Kitchen/utility room
Tumble dryer
117.8
£1.48
£76.85
£16,196,297
£842,207,442
Bedroom
TV
389.9
£0.19
£9.87
£2,133,294
£110,931,307
Living room
TV
451.5
£0.22
£11.43
£4,817,147
£250,491,654
Kitchen/utility room
Vacuum cleaner
69.1
£0.05
£2.70
£920,822
£47,882,743
Living room
Virtual home assistant (eg Alexa)
128.8
£0.01
£0.50
£46,315
£2,408,381
Kitchen/utility room
Washing machine
190.6
£0.68
£35.41
£16,457,625
£855,796,508
What uses gas and what uses electricity?
There are variations depending on homes and individual energy systems, but usually:
Appliances and lights will use electricity.
Heating (in terms of the house and water) will use gas, but may potentially use electricity.
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 over 100 energy-saving tips for all budgets here.
What’s the impact of energy saving on Net Zero?
Reducing your appliance energy outputs can reduce your monthly bills and also help reduce your carbon footprint. Energy consumption in the UK contributes 95.8 million tonnes, which is 21% of the country’s overall carbon production. The UK has pledged to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050, which means having to increase renewable energy sources, as well as reducing carbon emissions from things such as transport, diet and waste.
“With the cost of living increasing, many of us are trying to find ways to cut down on our energy bills. It’s easy to think that small appliances may not have a big impact on your overall energy bill, but surprisingly they can often have the most impact.
“Getting used to turning off electrical items at the plug sockets after use; making sure lights are turned off if rooms aren’t being used; and using more energy-efficient appliances wherever possible can all shave pounds off your bills.”
FAQs
In terms of the water used, a shower should be more economical than a bath depending on how long you shower for. A bath typically uses about 90 litres of water, while a shower should use about nine litres per minute, so keeping a shower to under 10 minutes should ensure it’s more economical than a bath.
The monthly cost of water depends on where you live and how much water you use - the more you use, the more you’ll pay. Unfortunately there’s no switching market for water - the supplier for your area is the supplier you have to use - and the cost of water is rising in the UK in line with other utilities like energy. Costs in some regions are also higher because they’re larger and require more infrastructure to be maintained to ensure that water can be transported to the homes, businesses and commercial buildings that need it.
Water prices have been rising in the UK because of inflation, according to Ofwat, the water regulator. This is related to the wider cost of living crisis that has affected the UK in 2022 and 2023 - as inflation rises, the price of water and various other outgoings will rise as well.
“Capped gas” refers to a gas meter having a cap placed on its pipework or emergency control valve so the supply of gas is disconnected. This generally happens for safety reasons - if it’s happened to you, the best course of action is to get in touch with your gas supplier to resolve the issue.
Unfortunately nobody can predict with any certainty how much energy bills will rise (if they rise at all) because the wholesale energy market is so unpredictable at the moment. With most of the country on a standard variable tariff because the fixed deals they were on have run out and almost no good-value fixes are being offered by suppliers, the level of the energy price cap becomes important here. It has actually decreased twice in a row and is predicted to decrease again from October 2023.
The only sure way of saving on energy bills is to try and manage your energy use as much as possible. During the summer, when you’re less likely to have the lights and heating on, this is relatively straightforward, though you’ll still be paying daily standing charges whether you use energy or not. In the winter, when it’s darker and colder, this becomes more difficult.
Methodology and sources
Research conducted online by Opinium, 6-9 June 2023, among 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative.
Discover how to calculate your monthly energy usage. Work out how much gas and electricity you use and how much you could save by switching energy suppliers.
What is the gas and electricity cost per kwh in the UK? To understand what a kWh costs, you first need to know what the difference between a kWh and a kW is. Discover all you need to know about understanding electricity price per kWh.