How much does a slow cooker cost to run?

A slow cooker draws only 100 to 200 watts, about the same as an old light bulb, but it runs all day. Eight hours on low adds up to around a unit of electricity, which still makes it one of the cheapest ways to cook a meal.

How we work it out

A typical slow cooker uses about 1.3kWh for 8 hours on low, taking around 8 hours. 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 34p. 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

• Keep the lid on. Lifting it lets the heat out and adds cooking time.
• Fill it at least half full; it works best that way.
• Batch cook and freeze portions, so one run of the slow cooker makes several meals.