Using an oven might be the traditional way to cook but is it cost-effective? As people are starting to tighten their belts as the rising cost of living bites, experts have looked to see if there are ways to save cash in the kitchen.
Supermarket chain Iceland has joined with energy supplier Utilita to compare the six most popular kitchen cooking appliances. They have looked at the traditional gas and electric ovens, a dual cooker (part electric and part gas), slow cooker, air fryer and microwave, reports The Mirror.
The results show changing the way some people cook could bring an annual saving of £604. And at a time when every penny counts it could be welcome news.
Researchers based their figures on the average amount of time each appliance is used for per day. They then came up with daily figures which were then rounded to produce weekly, monthly and annual results as well as CO2 emmissions.
And it found that for many of us there could be a saving as the more traditional methods turned out to be the pricier. More modern methods also seemed to be cheaper.
The most energy intensive is the electric cooker, which can cost up to £316.54 a year to run. At the other end of the scale, the microwave costs just 8p a day, totalling a meagre £30.02 annually.
Other cooking appliances commonly used include the gas cooker, which costs 33p a day, or £120.83 a year, and the part-electric, part-gas dual cooker, which sets users back 72p daily, or £264.03 annually. Meanwhile an air fryer is at the more economical end of the scale, costing just 14p a day to run – totalling £52.74 over a 12-month period.
The figures – based on the latest figures from Cornwall Insight on August 22 – come as Utilita and Iceland are set to rollout the “Shop Smart, Cook Savvy” campaign in-stores and online in September, to help identify the most economical ways of cooking. 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.
Of these 42% used the oven by default for most of their cooking needs. But more than half (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.
"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 joint campaign, both Utilita and Iceland have committed to 11 pledges. These include 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.”
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