Millions of Brits are becoming increasingly vigilant on saving money on their energy bills amid predictions that they could soon skyrocket to well over £5,000 annually.
Energy supplier Utilita and supermarket chain Iceland have run a study, revealing a detailed breakdown of how much six common cooking appliances cost for the average UK household. Their research is based on how frequently the average household uses the respective appliance each day.
The study revealed that the most energy-intensive appliance is the electric cooker, potentially running up a cost of £316.54 a year while the humble microwave only costs 8p a day - equating to £30.02 annually. Meanwhile, other common appliances such as the gas cooker costs 33p a day (£120.83 a year), The Mirror reports.
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The figures are based on the latest data from Cornwall Insight on August 22 and has been released amid a new campaign from Utilita and Iceland called "Shop Smart, Cook Savvy" which will help shoppers identify the most economic-friendly ways to cook. The data also found that consumers could save up to £158 by batch-cooking food while using the right sized pan could cut costs by £72.
Data in the research is based on the energy consumption of 83 appliances across 24 sources, including academic research, legislation, and information from popular shopping websites. 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."
He added: "The impact will be far greater than any of the Government’s green initiatives ever could have achieved. Although cooking is said to account for 4% 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 new campaign, Utilita and Iceland have committed to 11 pledges, including an overhaul of Iceland's own product packaging to become more energy efficient in line with cooking appliances and methods as well as a national "Cooking High 5" 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
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