HOUSEHOLDS who primarily cook with an oven could save up to £604 a year by using more energy-efficient cooking methods – like batch-cooking, or simmering rather than boiling, data has found.
Energy supplier Utilita, and supermarket chain Iceland, will roll out the ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ campaign in-stores and online in September to help identify the most economical ways of cooking.
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The collaboration presents the cost to cook for each of the main types of cooking appliance, based on the average amount of time they are used for each day.
It shows detailed cost breakdowns of the main seven types of cooking appliances, starting with the most energy intensive – the electric cooker – and finishing up with the most economical to run – the microwave.
The figures – based on the latest figures from Cornwall Insight on August 22 – show an electric cooker costs 87p per day to run, totalling £316.54 annually, while an air fryer costs just £52.74 per year in energy.
A gas cooker amounts to 33p-a-day or £120.83-a-year, while a microwave costs just 8p-a-day – or £30.02-a-year.
And it is not just switching appliances that could save money, as the data found batch-cooking food could save up to £158 a year, while using the right sized pan, with a lid, could cut costs by £72.
Letting water simmer rather than leaving it boiling can also save £68 annually, and not overfilling the kettle could leave you with an extra £19 over a 12-month period.
The research is based on the energy consumption of 83 appliances across 24 sources, including academic research, legislation, and data collected from popular shopping websites.
It comes after research of 2,000 households found they spend approximately 43 minutes cooking each day, with 42% using the oven by default for most of their cooking needs.
And 52% admitted they don’t know which of their cooking appliances cost more to run.
Archie Lasseter, Utilita’s sustainability lead, said: “The rising cost of energy is going to create seismic shifts in consumer behaviour associated with energy consumption through a new awareness of the cost to consume.
“The impact will be far greater than any of the Government’s green initiatives ever could have achieved.
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“Although cooking is said to account for four per cent of the average energy bill, the savings speak for themselves.
“It’s vital that consumers are given the facts they need in order to use less energy in the interest of the pocket and the planet.”
As part of the joint campaign, both Utilita and Iceland have committed to 11 pledges, including an overhaul of Iceland’s own-product packaging to reflect more energy efficient cooking appliances and methods, and a national ‘Cooking High 5’ consumer awareness tour.
Richard Walker, Iceland’s managing director, said: “The cost-of-living crisis continues to be the biggest national issue facing consumers.
“As a private, family-run business, we’re constantly looking at both short, and long-term initiatives that can offer any support.
“Our ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ collaboration with Utilita is so important, as it shines a light on the relationship between what we buy and how much energy we use cooking it, helping to empower our customers and provide them with access to information that can help stretch their budgets further.”
How much it costs to run different cooking appliances:
Electric cooker
- Cost per day to run: 87p
- Cost per week to run: £6.09
- Cost per month to run: £26.38
- Cost per year to run: £316.54
- CO₂e emissions(equivalent miles driven in average car): 609
Dual cooker (part electric, part gas)
- Cost per day to run: 72p
- Cost per week to run: £5.08
- Cost per month to run: £22
- Cost per year to run: £264.03
- CO₂e emissions(equivalent miles driven in average car): 609
Gas cooker
- Cost per day to run: 33p
- Cost per week to run: £2.32
- Cost per month to run: £10.17
- Cost per year to run: £120.83
- CO₂e emissions(equivalent miles driven in average car): 611
Slow cooker
- Cost per day to run: 16p
- Cost per week to run: £2.32
- Cost per month to run: £10.07
- Cost per year to run: £120.83
- CO₂e emissions(equivalent miles driven in average car): 611
Air fryer
- Cost per day to run: 14p
- Cost per week to run: £1.01
- Cost per month to run: £4.40
- Cost per year to run: £52.74
- CO₂e emissions(equivalent miles driven in average car): 102
Microwave
- Cost per day to run: 8p
- Cost per week to run: 58p
- Cost per month to run: £2.50
- Cost per year to run: £30.02
- CO₂e emissions(equivalent miles driven in average car): 58
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