How much does it cost to run an air fryer in the UK?
Price updated 9 July 2026 · Q3 2026 (Jul–Sep)
A typical air fryer (1,500 W) used 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week costs about £4.25 a month (£51.05 a year) at 26.11p/kWh.
Air fryers have a reputation as the UK's cheapest way to cook, and there's truth to it — but not for the reason most people think. Because an air fryer heats a small chamber with a fan rather than warming a large cavity, it draws high power (typically 1,200–2,100W) for short bursts. A 1,500W model running 30 minutes uses about 0.75 kWh. The real saving comes from short cooking times and skipping preheating, not from a magically low wattage. An air fryer beats the oven for small portions; for a full family meal cooked all at once the gap narrows.
Work out your own cost
About £4.25 a month · £51.05 a year
Uses about 196 kWh a year. Prefilled with the Ofgem cap of 26.11p/kWh — edit any box for your own figures.
Cost by model power
The same air fryer can vary a lot between models, so here is the range from a low-power to a high-power example.
| Model | Power | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-power model | 800 W | 21p | 10p | £2.27 | £27.23 |
| Typical model | 1,500 W | 39p | 20p | £4.25 | £51.05 |
| High-power model | 2,100 W | 55p | 27p | £5.96 | £71.48 |
What changes the cost
- The wattage of your model (1,200–2,100W is common)
- How long you actually cook, not the dial setting
- Whether you preheat (usually unnecessary)
- Cooking one portion vs a full basket
Common questions
Is an air fryer cheaper to run than an oven?
For small portions, almost always — you avoid heating a big oven cavity and skip most preheating. For large batches the difference shrinks. See our air fryer vs oven comparison.
How much does an air fryer cost per use?
A 1,500W air fryer for 30 minutes uses about 0.75 kWh — roughly the price of a short oven session, but delivered in far less time.
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