How much does it cost to run an air fryer? Experts reveal how it compares to other kitchen appliances

Air fryers are still one of the most popular kitchen appliances around, and one of their key selling points is that they're cheaper to run than ovens. But how much does it cost to run an air fryer? With the energy price cap changing again last month, it's time to get clarification on how much these trusty devices are costing us to use.

There's a reason the best air fryers have soared in popularity in recent years. Aside from speeding up week-night dinners, air fryers are a healthy way to cook, given that they need little to no oil to produce deliciously crispy food. All of that, plus they're cheaper to run than conventional ovens.

But if you've been asking, how much it costs to run an air fryer - you're not alone. Knowing the best way to use an air fryer is great and all, but it would be good to know exactly how much these handy cooking appliances are contributing to our energy bills. Are they as cheap to run as everyone says? How much are they right now, after the most recent energy price cap change?

To clarify this, we've spoken to energy and air fryer experts and asked the question, how much does it cost to run an air fryer? Let's find out if our favourite kitchen appliance really is as cheap as they say.

How much does it cost to run an air fryer?

Much like other appliances, understanding the answer to the question, ‘How much does it cost to run an air fryer?' involves knowing how many 'watts' of energy your device uses per hour.

A watt is simply a unit of power – so, the higher the wattage, the more energy it uses, and the higher the running costs. The same applies when working out the running costs of a dehumidifier, and the cost of running electric blankets.

So how expensive is it to run an air fryer? Energy expert at MyJobQuote, William Hobbs explains, “When it comes to working out the cost to run an air fryer, there are multiple factors that need to be considered. The most important factors are:

• "the wattage of the device per hour" (this will vary)
• "the current cost of energy. As of October 1st 2024, the UK electricity cap is 24.5p/kWh." In the US, there is no price cap, and costs vary across the country.

Jennifer Warren, the Founder of Energy Guide, explains that in order to work out the specific cost of using your air fryer, you can use a specific equation.

'Use the following formula to calculate the energy cost of an appliance: kWh per day x unit cost (wattage) = cost of electricity each day,' she explains. 'For example: If you had a 1500W air fryer and used it for an hour, it will use 1.5kWh.

'So, if your electricity costs 24.5p per unit (which is the new price cap from October), then multiply 1.5kWh by 24.5p, and you get a grand total of 37p per hour.'

It's important though when using this equation, to consider how long you generally use or plan to use, your air fryer for each day. Although a 1500W air fryer costs 37p per hour to run, most (if not all) of the time, we won't be using it for this long.

20 minutes is a more typical time to go off, as you can cook most things in an air fryer within this time. Based on the current energy price cap, running your air fryer for 20 minutes each day – for one meal – could cost you just over 12p in the UK.

These numbers should only be considered as a general guide. Ninja's personal finance and consumer expert, Sue Hayward, emphasises the different factors that go into answering how much it costs to run an air fryer.

"The question does depend on a few factors, including what appliances you have, foods you are cooking and the functions selected," she explains. "Ninja has released a handy energy calculator where you can type in the model you have and find out how much energy certain food items cost to cook. For example, 4 boneless chicken breasts cost on average 10p per 20 minutes usage to cook."

So, the factors that influence the cost of running an air fryer include:

• The wattage of your air fryer (and so the amount of power it will use): Most air fryers on the market tend to have a wattage of between 800-1800 watts, with larger air fryers having a higher wattage, and smaller air fryers having a lower wattage. Generally, the higher the wattage, the more power your device will use.
• How long you intend to use it for everyday: Of course, as with any kitchen appliance, if you plan to use your air fryer to help you cook each meal, it will clearly cost you more in energy than if you use it for just one meal a day. And when you know what you can cook in an air fryer, it makes sense that you may want to use it for every meal! But as we'll discover below, it may be a more sensible move than using the oven for each meal...
• How many people you plan to cook for: Again, the cost of using your air fryer will likely depend on whether you are cooking for lots of people. If you tend to cook for a larger family, you will necessarily need to use a large air fryer which tend to use more power, or you'll need to use it multiple times a day. But if you're just cooking for yourself, or you and a partner, a small air fryer – which are cheaper to use overall – will definitely suffice.

Is it cheaper to use an air fryer or an oven?

Perhaps the closest appliance to an air fryer, in terms of the resulting presentation, taste, and texture of your food, is the oven. So it makes sense to wonder which is cheaper to use – an oven or an air fryer?

"Air fryers are typically more cost-effective to run than conventional ovens for several reasons," Saul Davies, Senior Product Developer for Salter explains. "Factors such as their compact size, which requires less time and energy to heat up, enable quick and even heat distribution. Air fryers are also designed to reduce cooking times, leading to lower energy consumption and greater efficiency."

Jennifer agrees, telling w&h, “Air fryers use less energy and will cook food faster than the average/standard 2100W electric oven. And this is mainly due to the fact that ovens take much longer to reach their maximum temperature since they are bigger."

"Air fryers heat up and cool down almost instantly, meaning not much heat goes to waste when preparing a meal," adds William. "Ovens require a 5-10 minute preheating time, which wastes energy and pushes on the pennies."

Plus air fryers tend to cook your food at a far quicker rate, saving money in a way ovens cannot. William explains: "Air fryer cooking times average at 20 minutes or less, compared to 45 minutes to an hour for ovens."

But, Jennifer explains that in order to fairly compare the two, you need to be realistic about the amount of food you will regularly be cooking.

“It’s important to use an air fryer that has enough capacity to cook the volume of food you will need to cook, otherwise you may end up using the air fryer for even longer than you would your oven, in which case, you will likely make no savings at all," Jennifer explains.

So it can absolutely be cheaper to use an air fryer as opposed to an oven – but it's important to also be realistic about whether an air fryer, which undeniably has a smaller capacity compared to an oven, is big enough for the cooking you're planning on doing. 

Sometimes, you may end up using your oven and air fryer at the same time - in which case, the air fryer isn't going to be saving you money on running costs.

However, air fryers can be bought with larger capacities – some air fryer ovens can hold up to 1.4kg of food like some of the best ninja air fryers for example, which can equal a whole chicken or a large portion of chips. But ovens are undoubtedly larger, and unlike an oven, you won’t be able to cook multiple items simultaneously in an air fryer, which is also an important consideration.

How much does it cost to run an air fryer for 1 hour UK?

As of 1st October 2024, the cost of electricity per kWh was capped at 24.5p (a 5p decrease from the prior cap). This rate will stay in effect until 31st December 2024, at which point it might be subject to change again.

Based off of the current energy price cap, a 1500W air fryer will cost 37p per hour to run. You can work out the cost of your own air fryer by dividing the wattage by 1000 to get the kWh (so, 1500W = 1.5kWh), and multiplying this by 24.5 (1.5 x 24.5 = 37p).

Les Roberts, Energy Expert at Bionic comments: 'The average air fryer uses approximately 900-2000 watts per hour which costs £0.22p-£0.49p per hour of use depending on the size and wattage of your air fryer.'

FAQs

Do air fryers use a lot of electricity?

When it comes to how much electricity air fryers use, they are thought to be pretty much on par with other small appliances in your kitchen, such as the best blenders. However, when compared to larger appliances, like your oven or even your hob, they absolutely use less electricity. In fact, according to the Utilita research above, air fryers and microwaves are the two kitchen appliances that use the least amount of energy.

"Using a large air fryer tends to be more efficient than an oven as they require less energy overall," Ninja's Finance Expert Sue explains. "The models with multi-functions and larger capacities also mean you can cook more things at once and you can cook some foods much faster in an air fryer - for ultimate efficiency."

In comparison to other kitchen appliances, air fryers are pretty low on the energy usage scale. "Kettles for example often use between 2kW and 3kW of energy, so they’re one of the most power-hungry appliances in the home. They use two or three times more electricity than an air fryer," Paul Newman explains. "But unless you’re boiling water frequently for drinks and cooking, a kettle won’t cost you much more per day than an air fryer." On that, how often you descale a kettle is thought to improve the boiling time and cost.

"As another example, stand mixers use around the same amount of power as an air fryer. But as you don’t tend to use them for many minutes at a time or daily, they’re generally not going to cost you as much in electricity over a year as an air fryer in regular use."

So in answer to the question, do air fryers use a lot of electricity? The answer is that, compared to other kitchen appliances, no – though it is vital to consider your personal usage.

Do air fryers save money?

Yes – using an air fryer can absolutely save you money if you intend to use it as an alternative to a conventional oven, and if you use it as much as you typically would an oven.

Air fryers are, as mentioned, generally considered to be much cheaper appliances to run than ovens. Findings from Utilita Energy revealed that you could save up to £65.74 per year by using an air fryer, as opposed to an electric cooker.

Sue Hayward worked with Ninja on its Financial Report, which looked into the savings people make using an air fryer. "The report showed that since having an air fryer, some people are actually spending up to £200 less on takeaways a year. A quarter even said they don’t buy them at all anymore, which is quite an impressive amount."

However, as with any household appliance, it pays to choose a model that will help you save as much money as possible. William advises that buying a new appliance is the best financial move – but that there are pros and cons to choosing a low or high-wattage air fryer. He explains, “Newer appliances tend to be more energy-efficient compared to older models, making them cheaper to run overall."

“The more powerful the appliance the more it’ll cost to run, however, the quicker it will heat your food. But you can also save money by looking for a lower wattage appliance with a sufficient energy rating."

When considering whether air fryers save money, it's also well worth considering the initial cost of actually buying an air fryer. While the vast majority of homes will already have an oven installed, air fryers are an additional cost upfront. And while the best air fryer deals can help, some of them can be pretty pricey, costing up to £260 for premium models.

For some households, their air fryers will start to pay for themselves – but if you're only planning on using an air fryer occasionally, it's worth thinking about whether any overall savings will be worth the larger initial cost of the purchase.

What consumes the most electricity at home?

According to Les Roberts, an energy expert from Bionic, the tumble dryer is usually the most energy-consuming home appliance. "A tumble dryer that uses between 4.5 and 5.2 kWh energy costs up to £1.30 per hour," he explains. That's over £1 more than the cost of using an air fryer for the same amount of time.

"On average, using eco mode on a tumble dryer can reduce energy consumption by about 3.7%, saving you up to 5p every time you use your tumble dryer," Les says. "For those who use their dryer in line with every wash, five times a week, that could be a saving of above £12.51 a year."

Given that tumble dryers are the most expensive home appliance to run, it might be worth investing in one of the best-heated clothes airer this winter. You can find out how much-heated clothes airers cost to run in our guide.

So in answer to the question, do air fryers use a lot of electricity? The answer is that, compared to other kitchen appliances, no – though it is vital to consider your personal usage.