Families may be able to slash their energy bills when it comes to dinner time by switching to cheaper kitchen appliances.
Research from Quotezone.co.uk found a household could save £200 a year by switching to one of the most energy efficient appliances, a slow cooker.
Kitchen devices that can cook food more quickly can also bring in savings, such as cooking a jacket potato in a microwave in just a few minutes.
Greg Wilson, founder at Quotezone.co.uk, said: “People are increasingly choosing to use cooking gadgets that use less energy rather than conventional methods to cook their meals.
“Keeping costs down in the kitchen can make a big difference for households trying to amp up their energy savings amid the cost-of-living crisis.
“Each of these appliances has its own purpose and function so it’s good to know these comparisons to help families plan out energy efficient meals that can help them save money.”
People may want to consider switching to these appliances when cooking food:
Slow cooker – 5p an hour to run
These devices are usually quite large so they can cook large quantities of food at once. They have a low wattage, so although they take a few hours to cook food, they are very cheap to run.
They are ideal for cooking hearty dishes for the winter months, such as casseroles, stews, pasta dishes, soups, pulled meats and curries.
Pressure cooker – 28p an hour to run
These devices use water and steam to cook food. They are very efficient in their use of energy as little steam escapes the device, making them 70 percent more efficient than saucepans.
They also have health benefits with the quality of the food, as they retain nutrients while the food is cooked.
Pressure cookers are great for making slow-cooked dishes but they finish the job much more quickly than a slow cooker.
Microwave – 32p an hour to run
Microwaves are more limited in their use and are primarily used for reheating and defrosting food.
But they can be a speedy solution for some cooking jobs, such as melting butter, softening onions or steaming vegetables.
They can also be used to prepare jacket potatos, taking just eight to 10 minutes to cook, which is much quicker than using an oven.
Air fryer – 42p an hour to run
Air fryers have become very popular as they cook food faster and use less energy than ovens.
They use hot air rather than cooking oils or butter to cook food so they are relatively healthy compared to other fryers.
Oven – 60p an hour to run
The traditional oven is the least energy efficient cooking device and because of their size, they take a lot of time and energy to heat up.
But they are the most effective way to cook large batches of food. Britons may want to check if they can add any more items when switching on their oven.
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