How much does an air fryer cost to run?
About 13p a run on a standard tariff, or around £27 a year at 4 times a week. Less at the right time on a time-of-use tariff.
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An air fryer is a small fan oven. It's cheap to run because it heats a tiny space quickly and cooks fast, not because it uses less power while it's on. For one or two portions it beats the oven easily; for a full roast dinner the oven often wins.
How we work it out
A typical air fryer uses about 0.5kWh for 30 minutes, taking around 30 minutes. Electricity on a standard variable tariff costs about 26p a unit across Great Britain at the moment (it varies a little by region), so one run comes to about 13p. Your own model may use more or less: the energy label, or a plug-in energy monitor, will tell you.
If you're on a tariff where the price changes through the day, such as Agile Octopus, Economy 7 or an electric car tariff, the same run can cost much less at the right time. The Cheap Watts tool finds that time for you on your own tariff.
How to spend less
- Don't preheat unless the recipe insists. Most air fryers reach temperature in a minute or two.
- Cook in a single layer and shake halfway, so you don't have to run it twice.
- For a big batch, the oven can work out cheaper per portion.
Worth a look
- Smart plug with energy monitoring (Amazon, opens in a new tab)
Measure what your own appliance really uses per run, instead of the typical figure.
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