From 1 July 2026, the average capped electricity rate rises to 26.11p per kWh (Ofgem, GB average for Direct Debit customers). That makes this the perfect moment to re-price every appliance in your home — because once you know what each one actually costs per use, cutting your bill stops being guesswork. Below: the formula, the big board of per-use costs, and the swaps that genuinely pay for themselves.
The only formula you need
Every figure in this article comes from one calculation you can do yourself:
kW × hours × 26.11p = cost
A 2kW heater running for 3 hours: 2 × 3 × 26.11p = £1.57. A 10W router on all day: 0.01 × 24 × 26.11p = 6.3p. Find the wattage on the appliance's rating plate (usually on the back or base), divide by 1,000 to get kW, and you can price anything. We show the working for every number below, so you can trust them — and recompute when rates change.
The big board: what each appliance costs at 26.11p/kWh
| Appliance | Energy per use | Cost per use | Typical year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle (full 1.7L boil) | 0.20 kWh | 5p | £38 (2 boils/day) |
| Toaster (2 slices) | 0.05 kWh | 1.3p | £5 |
| Microwave (10 min, 800W) | 0.13 kWh | 3.5p | £13 |
| Air fryer (15 min, 1.5kW) | 0.38 kWh | 10p | £36 (daily use) |
| Electric oven (45 min incl. preheat) | ~1.0 kWh | 26p | £95 (daily use) |
| Induction hob (30 min) | ~0.7 kWh | 18p | £67 |
| Dishwasher (eco cycle) | ~1.0 kWh | 26p | £54 (4 cycles/week) |
| Washing machine (30°C cycle) | ~0.9 kWh | 23p | £64 |
| Tumble dryer — condenser | ~2.5 kWh/load | 65p | ~£138 |
| Tumble dryer — heat pump | ~1.0 kWh/load | 26p | ~£54 |
| Fridge-freezer (always on) | ~0.7 kWh/day | 18p/day | £65 |
| 55" LED TV (4 hrs/day) | 0.32 kWh/day | 8p/day | £30 |
| Games console (2 hrs gaming) | 0.30 kWh | 8p | £29 |
| Electric shower (10 min, 9kW) | 1.50 kWh | 39p | £143 (daily) |
| Wi-Fi router (24/7, 10W) | 0.24 kWh/day | 6p/day | £23 |
Assumptions: 26.11p/kWh (Ofgem rate from 1 July 2026); typical wattages and cycle energies — your model's rating plate or energy label gives exact figures. Annual columns state the usage they assume.
The heating-things-up rule
Notice the pattern in that table: anything whose job is making heat — dryers, ovens, showers, kettles — dominates the cost board, while electronics barely register. A games console costs 8p for an evening; a single condenser dryer load costs 65p. This one rule sorts almost every "is it worth worrying about?" question: worry about the heat-makers, relax about the gadgets.
Air fryer vs oven vs microwave: the real per-meal numbers
The air fryer hype has a solid basis — for the right portions:
- Microwave: 0.13 kWh ≈ 3.5p — unbeatable for reheating.
- Air fryer (15 min at 1.5kW): 0.38 kWh ≈ 10p — wins for one or two portions, no preheat needed.
- Full-size oven (45 min with preheat): ~1.0 kWh ≈ 26p — but the whole oven cooks for the same price, so for a family meal using multiple shelves the per-portion cost can beat the air fryer.
Rule of thumb: small portions → air fryer (saves roughly 16p per use, ~£58 a year if you'd otherwise use the oven daily); batch cooking → oven, then microwave the leftovers.
Worth-it swaps, with payback periods
| Swap | Saving per year | Upfront cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condenser dryer → heat pump dryer | ~£84 | £150–£300 premium | 2–4 years |
| Oven → air fryer (small portions, daily) | ~£58 | £50–£100 | 1–2 years |
| 40°C → 30°C washes | ~£12–£15 | Free | Immediate |
| Dry outdoors/airer instead of 3 dryer loads a week | ~£100 | ~£15 airer | Weeks |
| Boil only the water you need (half-full kettle) | ~£19 | Free | Immediate |
The heat pump dryer deserves its reputation: same job, around 60% less energy (~£138 vs ~£54 a year at typical use, per Which?'s rebased running-cost data). If your old dryer is due for replacement anyway, the premium pays back quickly — and faster still if you dry more than the typical three loads a week.
Standby drain: honest numbers, not scare stories
"Vampire devices" make headlines, but apply the formula and the picture is calmer. Modern electronics in standby draw very little — often under 1W thanks to EU/UK ecodesign rules. The realistic worry is the cluster of always-on, not-quite-standby kit: set-top boxes in "active standby", older soundbars, desktop PCs left sleeping. As a worked example, a combined 10W of genuinely always-on standby load costs 0.01 × 24 × 365 × 26.11p ≈ £23 a year; a household with 30W of it (an older set-top box, console set to instant-on, and a couple of chargers) is nearer £69 a year.
The five-minute fix: switch games consoles from "instant on" to energy-saver mode, put the TV stack on one switchable strip, and shut the desktop down properly. Don't bother unplugging phone chargers with nothing attached — they draw close to nothing.
Time-of-use tariffs: the same dryer load for half price
Everything above assumes the flat capped rate. Smart time-of-use tariffs change the game: cheap windows (often overnight) priced well below the cap, balanced by pricier peaks. If you have a smart meter, shifting just the heavy hitters — dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, EV charging — into the cheap window cuts their cost dramatically without changing how you live.
That 65p condenser dryer load can cost under 30p on an off-peak rate. A household running dishwasher + washing machine + dryer cycles overnight can realistically save £80–£150 a year versus the flat rate — more with an EV. If your usage skews to evenings and overnight, compare electricity tariffs including time-of-use options, or see our cheap energy deals comparison for what's available at your postcode.
What about gas? Cooking and heating water compared
Gas also gets a new capped rate on 1 July 2026 — 7.33p/kWh (up from 5.74p). Even after that 28% jump, gas remains far cheaper per unit of heat than electricity at 26.11p/kWh, which reshuffles some comparisons:
- Hob: a 30-minute gas hob session uses roughly 1.0 kWh of gas ≈ 7p, versus ~18p on induction. Gas wins on running cost (induction wins on speed and efficiency per unit).
- Hot water: heating a 10-minute shower's worth of water via a gas combi costs roughly half what a 9kW electric shower does — one reason electric-shower households see surprisingly high electricity bills.
- The exception: small jobs. Boiling a cup's worth of water in an electric kettle (≈1.6p) still beats heating a pan on any hob, gas included, because the kettle heats only the water.
The practical takeaway: if you have both fuels, push sustained heating jobs toward gas and keep electricity for the precise, short jobs it's best at. And since this is now a two-rate problem, make sure you're not overpaying on either — compare gas tariffs as well as electricity.
Use your in-home display to catch the hogs
If you have a smart meter, its in-home display (IHD) is a free diagnostic tool most people ignore. Two ten-minute experiments tell you more than any generic table:
- Find your baseline. Late at night with everything "off", note the wattage on the IHD. That's your always-on load — fridge, router, standby cluster. A healthy baseline is 50–100W (≈ £115–£230 a year at the new rate); if yours shows 200W+, something is drawing power you're not getting value from, and it's worth a hunt with a plug-in monitor.
- Price one appliance live. Watch the IHD, switch the suspect on, and read the jump. A 2,000W jump when the dryer starts = 52p/hour at 26.11p/kWh, right there on the screen. This is the fastest way to settle household arguments about what's actually expensive.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to run appliances at night?
Only if you're on a time-of-use tariff (Economy 7 or a smart tariff). On a standard flat-rate tariff, a kWh costs the same at 3am as at 6pm. Check your tariff before you start running the dishwasher at midnight.
Does eco mode actually save money?
Yes — eco cycles on dishwashers and washing machines run longer but cooler, and heating the water is most of the cost. An eco cycle typically uses 20–40% less energy than the standard programme. Longer ≠ more expensive.
How do I find an appliance's wattage?
Look for the rating plate (a sticker or engraving on the back, base or door frame) showing watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). For real-world readings, a £10–£15 plug-in energy monitor shows live consumption — genuinely useful for fridges and consoles whose draw varies.
Is leaving the heating on low all day cheaper than timed bursts?
For almost all homes, no. Heat escapes constantly while the house is warm, so the longer it's warm, the more total energy you lose. Timed heating that matches occupancy nearly always costs less than always-on low heat. (The exception is some very well-insulated homes with heat pumps designed for steady running.)
Will these numbers change in October?
Probably — Ofgem resets the cap quarterly. The wattages and kWh-per-use figures stay the same, so just rerun the formula with the new rate. That's why we show the working rather than only the answers.
Electricity rate: 26.11p/kWh, Ofgem GB average for Direct Debit, 1 July – 30 September 2026, including VAT. Your regional rate varies slightly. Appliance energies are typical values — your model's energy label gives exact figures.
