ENERGY · RUNNING COSTS

What an air fryer costs to run

On the price cap from 1 October to 31 December 2026, a 2.4 kW air fryer at full power costs 21.1p for 20 minutes, in Great Britain on average and paying by Direct Debit. Put in your own model and region below.

Your region
Today's cap
Real models

Each time it runs

21.1p

At 26.32p a kWh: the cap's Great Britain average on Direct Debit, 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026.

An hour at full power: 63.2p
A week: 42.1p
A month: £1.83
A year: £21.96

The working

2.4 kW for 20 minutes uses 0.8 kWh at full power.
0.8 kWh × 26.32p a kWh (Great Britain average, Direct Debit, VAT included) = 21.1p each time.
2 times a week is 42.1p; × 52.14 weeks = £21.96 a year, or £1.83 a month.

The standing charge (54.83p a day here) isn't in these figures: you pay it whatever you run. On Economy 7 or another time-of-use tariff, the cost depends on when it runs and your supplier's rates.

Real models

Ratings from each maker's or retailer's page. Great Britain average, Direct Debit.

Model	Rating	An hour
Tower 1000W 2.2 Litre Manual Air Fryer (T17023)	1 kW	26.3p
Tower Vortx 7.2 Litre Digital Air Fryer (T17149)	1.65 kW	43.4p
Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK 7.6L	2.4 kW	63.2p
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone AF400UK 9.5L	2.47 kW	65p

Where you live

A 2.4 kW air fryer at full power, on Direct Debit. The Great Britain average is 27.80p a kWh paying on receipt of a bill, and 25.52p on prepayment.

Region	A kWh	Each time	A year
Great Britain average	26.32p	21.1p	£21.96
Eastern England	26.61p	21.3p	£22.20
East Midlands	25.36p	20.3p	£21.15
London	26.60p	21.3p	£22.19
Merseyside and North Wales	27.86p	22.3p	£23.24
West Midlands	25.60p	20.5p	£21.36
North East England	25.46p	20.4p	£21.24
North West England	26.49p	21.2p	£22.10
Southern England	26.47p	21.2p	£22.08
South East England	26.88p	21.5p	£22.43
South Wales	26.55p	21.2p	£22.15
South West England	26.58p	21.3p	£22.18
Yorkshire	25.60p	20.5p	£21.36
South Scotland	26.11p	20.9p	£21.78
North Scotland	26.35p	21.1p	£21.98

A year is 20 minutes a time, 2 times a week: my assumption, so put in your own use above.

Air fryer, oven or microwave

The same dishes, measured. Great Britain average, Direct Debit.

Dish	Air fryer	Electric oven	Microwave
Roast chicken, 1.3 to 1.4 kg	14.2p: 53 min, 0.54 kWh	30.5p: 76 min, 1.157 kWh	Not tested
Frozen chips, 320 g	7.6p: 23 min, 0.287 kWh	22.7p: 33 min, 0.863 kWh	Not tested
Jacket potato, about 200 g	10.3p: 48 min, 0.392 kWh	28.5p: 68 min, 1.084 kWh	3.9p: 8 min, 0.149 kWh
Three-egg sponge cake (smaller in the air fryer)	5.9p: 33 min, 0.223 kWh	18.7p: 56 min, 0.71 kWh	Not tested

Which? cooked each dish in a Morphy Richards Health Fryer 480003 air fryer and a Bosch Serie 2 HHF113BR0B built-in oven, measuring the energy in its lab, any preheating included. The microwave's jacket potato is from its microwave buying guide. Each cost is the energy it measured at 26.32p a kWh. Cooking in batches can change the answer: a full oven cooks more at once. (Which?: air fryer vs oven, energy use and cooking results compared (16 October 2026); Which?: how to buy the best microwave (1 October 2026))

What it uses

The rated power in watts, on the plate under the base and in the listing's specifications (Ninja lists "Wattage: 2,400 watts"; Tower puts it in the product name).

Does it always use this much? No. Measured use comes in well under rated power multiplied by cooking time. Which? notes that working cost out from the power rating 'assumes the product is always using maximum power' and may not be accurate for more complex products. Morphy Richards measured its 1,300 W Manual air fryer at 0.175 kWh for 20 minutes at 200°C, where the full 1,300 W for 20 minutes would be 0.433 kWh.

Spending less

Cook small amounts for one or two people in the air fryer; for bigger batches the oven can be better value. The Energy Saving Trust calls the air fryer 'best for one to two people' and the electric oven 'best for batch cooking'. (Energy Saving Trust, Air fryer vs oven: which cooking appliance is cheaper to run? (updated 6 October 2026))
Try not to open the drawer more than you need to; it lets heat out and wastes energy. (Energy Saving Trust: Air fryer vs oven (updated 6 October 2026))
Pick a size that fits what you cook: Which? found the savings 'soon drop off if you have to cook in batches'. (Which?: Air fryer vs oven (16 October 2026))

Questions

How much does an air fryer cost to run?

A 2.4 kW air fryer at full power costs 21.1p for 20 minutes at the price cap's 26.32p a kWh (Great Britain average, Direct Debit, from 1 October to 31 December 2026). For 20 minutes a time, 2 times a week, that's £21.96 a year. The calculator above takes your own model, use, region and how you pay.

Is an air fryer cheaper to run than an oven?

For the same meal, usually yes. The Energy Saving Trust says air fryers are cheaper to run when cooking the exact same meal, while ovens suit batch cooking. In Which?'s lab test a roast chicken used 0.54 kWh in an air fryer against 1.157 kWh in a built-in oven, and Which? found the air fryer often used less than half the energy. Cooking for a crowd, the oven can still come out ahead.

Do air fryers use a lot of electricity?

They draw a lot while heating but run for a short time. Rated power on models sold now runs from 1,000 W (Tower's 2.2 litre) to 2,470 W (Ninja's 9.5 litre dual zone). In Which?'s tests the air fryer used between 0.223 kWh (a cake) and 0.54 kWh (a whole roast chicken) per dish.

Do you need to preheat an air fryer?

Not for long. Ninja says air fryers 'require little to no preheat time, compared to an oven'.