1 week Ago By Alex Evans
The rise of air fryers has caused ovens to fall out of fashion in some households, with the cheaper appliances helping save cooks time and money in the kitchen. But sometimes you need to run an oven - and if you’re making a big meal for a family, running an oven can sometimes be more cost effective because you can cook more things at once, dividing the cost across more food. But there’s no two ways about it, running an oven is generally quite expensive, one of the most expensive appliances in your home, and a cost most of us take on the chin in exchange for a good meal.
But the cost of running an oven - and everything else - will increase from next month. From April, energy bills are rising for the fourth time in a row, pushing up the cost of running every household appliance unless you’re able to grab a cheap fix soon (which you definitely should). Currently, electricity costs an average of 24.
86p per kWh, and it will go up to 27.03p per kWh from April 1, when Ofgem increases prices of gas and electricity by an average of 6.4%, or £111 a year.
Those on standard variable tariffs - i.e. not on fixed deals - will pay these new higher prices from April unless they grab a fix before then.
On the current prices, running a typical 2kWh electric oven for one hour costs 50p. If you did this every day, that would add £181.48 to your energy bill for the year.
But on April prices, the cost of running the same 2kWh electric oven will rise to 54p per hour of use, or £197.32 per year added to your annual electricity bill from April onwards if you’re on a standard variable tariff. Go Compare explains ways to cut down on your oven use by using other appliances like a microwave or slow cooker.
It says: “Most cooking appliances are cheaper than an oven: a 800W microwave can cook a jacket potato in 10 minutes for 3.3p, compared with 60 minutes in the 2,000W oven for 49p. “Meanwhile, a 100W slow cooker can cook a casserole in eight hours for 20p, compared with two hours in the 2,000W oven for 98p.
“But unlike a microwave or slow cooker, you can cook many things at the same time in an oven. For example, you can cook a roast chicken, baked potatoes, roast vegetables and apple crumble - or a large quantity of the same food which you then freeze in portions and heat up in a microwave at a later date.” The best way to save money on your bills right now is to get a fixed energy deal.
There are still fixed tariffs cheaper than the April price cap available on the market, which will save you money against the new prices and guarantee to lock your price in for the next 12 months, but time is rapidly running out to grab one before April..
