5 worst energy-guzzling kitchen appliances

You can lower your energy bills by using these kitchen items more efficiently

The cost-of-living crisis is biting hard, and households across the UK are seeing their energy prices soar as the price cap rises by 54%.

One way of trying to keep costs from spiralling out of control is to change the way you use appliances that guzzle up energy. We spoke to kitchen manufacturer Kesseler to find out what the worst culprits in your kitchen are.

Here's Kesseler’s verdict on the five kitchen appliances that use the most energy, plus tips on how to make a dent in your bills.

1. Fridges

Essential they may be, but according to Kesseler, the refrigerator is by far the most power-hungry appliance in the home, consuming around a third of all the electricity that a typical household uses.

Though no one is suggesting we do away with fridges and revert to the days of ice houses, it is important to make sure your appliance is set to the correct temperature.

Nic Shacklock of Kesseler explains: “Many people have their fridges turned down much lower than they need to, and this uses more energy to keep the temperature down, particularly in the time after the door has been opened allowing the cold air to escape.”

Shacklock says that those looking to buy a new fridge should opt for one with the new gold standard energy rating of A+++, which uses up to 80% less electricity than a class D fridge.

2. Wine cooler

Far from a necessity, but nevertheless very popular, wine coolers will use a lot of energy if you let them.

Shacklock says: “Many people turn their wine coolers down too far. A lighter white wine such as a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc should be served between 7-10 degrees C whereas a white wine with more body like a Chardonnay should be served at a warmer temperature of 10-13 degrees C, which means you can turn up the chiller thermostat and use less energy.”

Image: CDA Appliances

3. Kettle

It may seem as though the world is out to get us caffeine addicts, but it’s worth thinking about how much water you really need in your kettle, as heating less water will use less electricity.

Shacklock says overfilling your kettle means it will take much longer to boil the water, using energy unnecessarily.

“If you’re only boiling [water] to make one cup of tea at a time, you could reduce your energy bills by up to 75% compared to filling the kettle each time.”

4. Electric hob

If you're thinking about updating your kitchen appliances, take note. When it comes to gas versus electric hobs, you may be interested to know that an electric hob adds around £90 a year to energy bills as they take longer to heat than their gas counterparts.

Shacklock recommends using a microwave as an alternative for heating food: “We find that microwaves are actually quite energy efficient. A relatively standard microwave (800W, category E) will use around 0.09kWh of electricity for every five minutes of usage.”

When you do use the hob, it’s imperative that you use the right size of pan. Using a smaller pan on a big hob ring will not heat it any more quickly but it will waste more energy.

Image: Magnet

5. Oven

Avoid cleaning your oven at all costs? You're not alone, but it may contribute to higher energy bills.

Yes, unfortunately a clean oven is more efficient than one caked in last week’s cooking – this is because the heat is absorbed by soot and grease deposits, rather than your food, resulting in longer cooking time and more energy usage.

Dirty ovens can add as much as £30 to your annual energy bill, and leaving the door open for longer than necessary can also waste energy.

Using an air fryer to cook where possible could save you money though: “An average air fryer will use around 0.75kWh for half an hour of cooking (and only takes a moment to get up to temperature).

"By contrast, the average oven will take 10 minutes just to get to cooking temperature, and then 30 minutes of cooking will use an average of 1.5kWh,” Shacklock says.

Now that is food for thought.

Main photo: Quiet Mark