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ENERGY · RUNNING COSTS

What a slow cooker costs to run

On the price cap from 1 October to 31 December 2026, a 160 W slow cooker at full power costs 4.2p an hour, in Great Britain on average and paying by Direct Debit. Put in your own model and region below.

What you know about it

The rated power in watts or kW, on the plate under the base and in the specifications (Morphy Richards lists "Wattage: 0.16kw").

Each time it runs

Every day is 7; once a fortnight is 0.5.

How you pay

An hour at full power

4.2p

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

Each time
25.3p
A week
25.3p
A month
£1.10
A year
£13.18

The working

  1. 160 W for 6 hours uses 0.96 kWh at full power.
  2. 0.96 kWh × 26.32p a kWh (Great Britain average, Direct Debit, VAT included) = 25.3p each time.
  3. Once a week is 25.3p; × 52.14 weeks = £13.18 a year, or £1.10 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.

ModelRatingAn hour
Tower Infinity 1.5 Litre Stainless Steel Slow Cooker (T16020)120 W3.2p
Morphy Richards Ceramic 3.5L Slow Cooker (460017)160 W4.2p
Morphy Richards 6.5L Sear & Stew Hinged Lid Slow Cooker (461020)290 W7.6p
Tower 6.5 Litre Stainless Steel Slow Cooker (T16040Y)300 W7.9p

Where you live

A 160 W slow cooker 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.

RegionA kWhAn hourA year
Great Britain average26.32p4.2p£13.18
Eastern England26.61p4.3p£13.32
East Midlands25.36p4.1p£12.69
London26.60p4.3p£13.31
Merseyside and North Wales27.86p4.5p£13.95
West Midlands25.60p4.1p£12.82
North East England25.46p4.1p£12.74
North West England26.49p4.2p£13.26
Southern England26.47p4.2p£13.25
South East England26.88p4.3p£13.46
South Wales26.55p4.2p£13.29
South West England26.58p4.3p£13.31
Yorkshire25.60p4.1p£12.82
South Scotland26.11p4.2p£13.07
North Scotland26.35p4.2p£13.19

A year is 6 hours a time, once a week: my assumption, so put in your own use above.

What it uses

The rated power in watts or kW, on the plate under the base and in the specifications (Morphy Richards lists "Wattage: 0.16kw").

Does it always use this much? Not on low. Morphy Richards' measured figures for a 3.5 litre model rated 160 W show less energy on low than the rating suggests, and the settings run at different temperatures: Which? says low typically keeps a stew at around 80-90°C, while high can go above 100°C. Morphy Richards measured its 160 W Sear & Stew 3.5L at 0.938 kWh over 8 hours on low, where 160 W for 8 hours would be 1.28 kWh.

Spending less

Questions

How much does a slow cooker cost to run?

A 160 W slow cooker at full power costs 4.2p an hour at the price cap's 26.32p a kWh (Great Britain average, Direct Debit, from 1 October to 31 December 2026). For 6 hours a time, once a week, that's £13.18 a year. The calculator above takes your own model, use, region and how you pay.

Is it cheaper to use a slow cooker than an oven?

Per hour, usually yes, though it runs for much longer. Which?'s per-hour figure for the most efficient slow cookers on low is a small fraction of its figure for keeping an oven on. On the highest setting the least efficient models it tested came close to or above the oven's hourly figure. Slow cookers are rated at 120 W to 300 W on the models I checked, against 2,300 W to 2,990 W for a built-in oven.

How much electricity does a slow cooker use?

Not much for the hours it runs. Ratings run from 120 W (Tower's 1.5 litre) to 300 W (Tower's 6.5 litre). Morphy Richards measured its 3.5 litre Sear & Stew Oval (rated 160 W) using 0.938 kWh over 8 hours on low.

Should I use low or high?

Low takes longer at a lower temperature. Which? says a stew takes around six hours on low and four on high, with low keeping it at around 80-90°C and high going above 100°C. The Energy Saving Trust suggests low if you'll be out for longer.

Sources

Other appliances

Compare energy tariffs to see what a year would cost you on each.