UK households with air fryers have been issued a £64 warning as energy costs rise following the Ofgem price cap change.
The popular kitchen appliance, which has become a staple in British homes due to its sleek design and convenience, is set to cost households more from this week onwards.
Experts are warning of a £12 increase in annual energy costs for air fryer users.
This comes as many Britons have embraced air fryers as a supposedly economical cooking option.
Elderly woman cooking with hot air fryer in the kitchen
GETTY
The price hike means households could now face spending around £64 per year on running their air fryers.
Currently, an air fryer costs 14p per use, which adds up to 98p weekly for those using it seven times.
Over a year, this amounts to around £52 for regular users.
The Ofgem price cap change is expected to add approximately £12 to annual running costs.
According to Uswitch, a 2,600-watt air fryer costs 11.8p for 10 minutes of use, or 71.1p per hour.
Smaller 1,000-watt models are more economical at 4.6p per 10 minutes, or 27.4p hourly.
An image of a phone user checking their energy bill statement
PA
These costs vary significantly depending on the power of your appliance and usage frequency.
The rising energy prices mean households should consider when and how they use their air fryers.
Consumers looking to save money might want to reconsider their cooking methods for certain foods.
For example, cooking a jacket potato in an air fryer at 200C for 40 minutes costs between 18.4p and 47.2p depending on the appliance's power.
By contrast, a 700W microwave would cook the same potato in just 7-10 minutes, costing less than 3p.
Microwaves can be purchased from £40 to over £100 for those without one.
A photo of a woman using an air fryer
GETTY
Some households may have neglected their microwaves since the air fryer trend began.
Uswitch confirms that a typical microwave costs just 3.2p per 10 minutes of use, or 19.1p per hour.
This significant cost difference could add up substantially over time.
Money saving expert Martin Lewis has previously offered advice on this topic.
In his podcast last year, Lewis explained that for larger meals like Sunday roasts, using an oven might actually be more economical.
This is because when cooking multiple items simultaneously, the oven's energy usage becomes more efficient per item.
It's worth noting that while air fryers cost more per minute to operate, they do offer greater versatility in cooking options.
They can also cook more food at once compared to some alternatives.
Households should therefore consider not just the appliance running costs, but also what and how much they're cooking when choosing the most economical option.
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