Appliances accounted for about 67.5% of UK domestic electricity use in 2025, by our calculation from government (DESNZ) figures, making them the largest use of electricity in the average home. If you are trying to work out your appliance running costs, the answer is rarely what the wattage on the sticker alone suggests.
A 9kW electric shower draws far more power than a fridge-freezer, but what drives the annual bill is how long each appliance runs. Which? estimates that an American-style fridge-freezer, running 24/7, costs £117 a year on average.
How appliance electricity use is calculated
The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) gives the standard method: power (kW) × hours used = kWh, then kWh × your unit rate = cost.
CSE’s example is a 500W (0.5kW) dehumidifier run for 24 hours, which uses 12kWh. At CSE’s July 2026 average direct debit rate of 26p/kWh, that costs about £3.12. At the October–December 2026 Ofgem price cap rate of 26.32p/kWh, the same 24 hours would cost roughly £3.16 by our calculation.
Wattage is not the whole story. By our estimate at the October 2026 cap rate, a 3kW kettle switched on for 10 minutes uses 0.5kWh, costing about 13p, while a 9kW electric shower used for the same 10 minutes uses 1.5kWh, costing about 39p.
Thermostatic appliances such as fridges, freezers and ovens cycle on and off to maintain temperature, so their daily cost is not 24 times the hourly figure.
The most reliable way to compare models is the energy label. Labels now print annual (or per-100-cycle) kWh figures, so you can compare models of different sizes. CSE notes that a higher-wattage appliance, such as an efficient dishwasher drawing 2kW, may finish sooner and use less energy overall, so judge by the label’s kWh figure rather than wattage.
Real-world examples of appliance costs
The figures below are Which? estimates (published 26 August 2026) at the October 2026 price cap rate of 26.32p/kWh, for average models and usage; your costs depend on your model, habits and tariff. The kWh figures in brackets are our own estimates, back-calculated from Which?’s costs, not Which? figures.
Drying and washing
Tumble dryers are among the most expensive appliances to run. A condenser tumble dryer used for three cotton loads a week costs an average of £139 a year (about 530kWh). A heat-pump tumble dryer, which is more efficient, costs £54 a year (about 205kWh) for the same use. A washer-dryer, washing four times and drying three times a week, averages £216 (about 820kWh).
A washing machine used four times a week costs £64 a year (about 243kWh). A dishwasher used five times a week costs £68 a year (about 258kWh).
Cooling
Fridge-freezers run around the clock. An American-style fridge-freezer costs £117 a year (about 445kWh). A freestanding fridge-freezer costs £79 (about 300kWh) and an integrated model £78 (about 296kWh).
Cooking and kettles
A kettle boiling 1 litre twice a day plus a minimum fill three times a day costs £39 a year (about 148kWh). An air fryer used for two meals a week costs £33 (about 125kWh). A built-in single electric oven used three times a week costs £63 (about 239kWh). A TV on for four hours a day and on standby for the other 20 costs £29 (about 110kWh).
What the numbers say
According to DESNZ’s Energy Consumption in the UK 2026, appliances used 5,586 ktoe of electricity in 2025, about 67.5% of all domestic electricity by our calculation. Space heating took 15.3%, cooking 8.9%, water heating 4.2% and lighting 4.1%. Across all household energy, including gas, appliances were only 16.4%, because space heating dominates.
The Energy Saving Trust (EST) gives a different measure: shares of a typical energy bill. On that basis, washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers make up 14%, fridges and freezers about 13%, consumer electronics about 6%, lighting about 5%, and kitchen appliances (hob, oven, kettle, microwave) about 4%. These are not comparable with the DESNZ shares above.
EST also estimates what efficiency ratings are worth over an appliance’s life. These are EST’s GB estimates, based on its own average of recent price caps (24.7p/kWh for electricity), not the October 2026 cap:
- Dishwashers: an A-rated 12-place dishwasher costs £35 a year, a G-rated one £70.
- Fridge-freezers: choosing A-rated over E-rated saves £360 over a 17-year lifetime.
- Washing machines: A-rated rather than D-rated saves around £95 over an 11-year lifetime.
- Tumble dryers: these still use the older A+++ to D scale; an A+++ dryer saves around £700 over a 13-year lifetime compared with a B-rated model.
Size also matters. EST says a common mistake is buying a larger appliance because it has a better rating; a larger model uses more energy than a smaller one even at the same rating.
Induction and gas hobs
US ENERGY STAR figures put induction at about 85% efficient at transferring energy to food, against about 32% for gas. But in the UK gas costs 7.97p/kWh against 26.32p for electricity under the October–December 2026 cap, roughly a third of the price, so induction is not automatically cheaper to run than gas.
Limitations and honest assessment
These figures are estimates based on average usage; your costs depend on your tariff, region and habits. Which? assumes three cotton loads a week for dryers and four washes a week for washing machines; if you use the dryer less, any saving from a heat-pump model will be smaller.
Efficient appliances can cost more to buy. Which? puts the average heat-pump tumble dryer at £661, against £307 for a condenser model. By our rough calculation, the extra £354 would take about four years to recover at an estimated £85 annual saving at Which?’s usage, and longer if you dry less often.
Standby power, or “vampire” load, is another factor. EST estimates switching appliances off standby saves about £45 a year in GB. A 2012 government-backed field trial, Powering the Nation, found electronics left plugged in or on standby cost UK households up to £1.3 billion a year. EST says most devices can be switched off at the plug without losing settings; leave fridges, freezers and some recorders or set-top boxes on.
The UK angle
From 1 March 2021, rescaled A–G labels without A+, A++ and A+++ apply in Great Britain to dishwashers, washing machines and washer-dryers, fridges and freezers, and TVs and monitors. EST says a product previously rated A could now be rated F. Tumble dryers and ovens still use older scales. Northern Ireland uses the EU version of the label.
VAT on electricity is 0% from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 (gas stays at 5%), and the cap is reviewed every quarter, so these figures will change. For bigger upgrades, such as a heat pump or renewables at home, check current scheme rules on GOV.UK or with an MCS-certified installer. See also our energy-saving tips for UK homes and zero-energy buildings.
Frequently asked questions
Which household appliance uses the most electricity in the UK?
Appliances as a group used about 67.5% of domestic electricity in 2025, by our calculation from DESNZ data. Among the appliances Which? costed at 26.32p/kWh, a washer-dryer averages £216 a year, a condenser tumble dryer £139 and an American-style fridge-freezer £117.
How do I work out how much an appliance costs to run?
Multiply the appliance’s power in kilowatts (kW) by the hours you use it to get kWh, then multiply by your electricity unit rate. For example, a 3kW kettle used for 10 minutes uses 0.5kWh; at 26.32p/kWh that is about 13p.
How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer, and is a heat-pump dryer worth it?
Which? estimates a condenser dryer costs about £139 a year and a heat-pump dryer £54, for three loads a week at 26.32p/kWh. By our rough calculation, the higher average purchase price would take around four years to recover at that usage, longer if you dry less.
Is an A-rated appliance on the new label the same as A+++ on the old one?
No. The UK rescaled labels from 1 March 2021, and EST says a product previously rated A could now be F. Tumble dryers and ovens still use older scales, while dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and TVs use the new A–G scale.
Is induction cheaper to run than a gas hob?
Not automatically. US ENERGY STAR figures put induction at about 85% efficient against about 32% for gas, but under the October–December 2026 cap electricity costs about three times as much per kWh as gas (26.32p against 7.97p).
How much does leaving things on standby really cost?
EST estimates switching appliances off standby saves about £45 a year in GB. Leave fridges, freezers and some recorders switched on.