Air Fryer vs Oven Cost to Run: Air Fryer Cheaper for Small Meals

Kitchen 6 min read

By the Plug & Penny editorial team · Published 11 November 2026

An air fryer is cheaper to run than an electric oven for small meals. In the Energy Saving Trust's lab test, a 600g chicken breast cost 14p in an air fryer and 20p in an electric oven in Great Britain. No equivalent US test exists, so our US figures come from power ratings: 30 minutes at full power costs about 14–15¢ in an air fryer against 18–45¢ in a full-size electric oven.

On the same rating basis, a UK air fryer costs 19–36p for 30 minutes and an electric oven 26–66p. A gas oven is cheaper to run than an electric one because gas costs far less per kWh. Thirty minutes at full burner works out at about 13–22¢ in the US or 10–14p in the UK.

Prices used throughout: US electricity 18.16¢/kWh (EIA, August 2026), US natural gas $1.48/therm, or 5.05¢/kWh (EIA, 2025 annual average), and UK electricity 26.32p/kWh and gas 7.97p/kWh under the Ofgem price cap (Great Britain average, Direct Debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026).

The like-for-like test: same meal, both appliances

The only test we found that cooked the same food in an air fryer and an oven is the Energy Saving Trust's. It works out cost per use from lab testing of specific foods.

Source: Energy Saving Trust. The pennies were calculated at the energy prices in force when the page was last updated, not at the October 2026 cap, so the exact figures move with prices. In Great Britain the air fryer saved 6p on a 20p meal, or 30%.

The Energy Saving Trust explains why. An air fryer works like a small fan oven. A full oven is bigger and uses more energy just to heat up, so for individual portions a typical electric oven can be the most expensive way to cook.

We found no official US test comparing an air fryer with an oven, and no official test in either country comparing an air fryer with a gas oven. Everything below is worked out from power ratings.

Cost per session at October 2026 prices

Every row in this table uses the same basis: 30 minutes at full rated power. That makes the rows comparable, but it is an upper limit. Once an appliance reaches temperature, its thermostat switches the heater or burner on and off, so real use is lower. An oven also has to preheat, which this table does not add.

These are energy costs only. UK standing charges (54.83p a day for electricity and 29.68p a day for gas under the same cap) are left out because you pay them whatever you cook with.

The working. For electricity: watts × hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh, then kWh × price = cost. A 1,700 W air fryer for 30 minutes uses 1,700 × 0.5 ÷ 1,000 = 0.85 kWh. That costs 0.85 × 18.16¢ = 15.44¢ in the US and 0.85 × 26.32p = 22.37p in the UK. For US gas, an 18,000 Btu/hr burner for 30 minutes burns 9,000 Btu, which is 0.09 therm because one therm is 100,000 Btu. At $1.48 a therm that is 13.32¢. For UK gas, 2.5 kW × 0.5 hours = 1.25 kWh, and 1.25 × 7.97p = 9.96p.

Where the ratings come from. Air fryer ratings are from the manufacturers (see the next section). The electric oven range is Smart Energy GB's typical 2.0–5.0 kWh per hour, a rating-style range rather than metered use. We found no official US figure, so we apply the same range to US ovens. The US gas burners are from Wolf, which rates its 18-inch gas ovens at 18,000 Btu and its 30- and 36-inch ovens at 30,000 Btu. Frigidaire's specifications for its standard 30-inch FGF368GQ gas range also list an 18,000 Btu/hr bake burner on natural gas. The UK gas ratings of about 2.5 kW for a typical oven and 3.5 kW for a large range come from a calculator website, not a manufacturer, so treat them as a guide.

How much electricity does an air fryer use?

An air fryer uses about 0.73–1.35 kWh in a 30-minute session at full power, depending on its rating. These tables assume one 30-minute session a day, 30 days a month and 365 days a year.

United States (18.16¢/kWh, EIA, August 2026)

United Kingdom (26.32p/kWh, Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026)

Instant lists its UK model as 1,450–1,700 W rather than a single figure, so we show both ends. Note that the same Philips model sold in the US has a different rating; the 2,225 W figure is for the UK/EU version.

So what does an air fryer cost per hour in the UK? At full power, 38–71p on these models. Smart Energy GB puts an average air fryer at 1.4–1.7 kWh per hour, which is 37–45p at the current cap. Real use is lower once the thermostat starts cycling, but no source we found publishes an average draw.

Put in your own model's wattage and cooking time here:

Is an air fryer cheaper than an electric oven?

For one or two portions, yes. The Energy Saving Trust test above shows it, and the rating table points the same way in both countries.

For a measured oven figure, look at the EU/UK energy label. A Beko BBIM13300XPE built-in oven (72 litres, class A+) used 0.95 kWh per cycle in conventional mode and 0.69 kWh in fan mode. At the current UK cap that is 18–25p a cycle; at the US average it is 13–17¢. This is a standardised lab load rather than a meal, so it does not line up directly with the 30-minute figures above. It does show how much fan mode helps.

The US Department of Energy gives similar advice about small appliances in general. It says a toaster or convection oven uses one-third to one-half as much energy as a full-sized oven and suggests them for small meals. It does not mention air fryers by name.

When the oven wins

The Energy Saving Trust says a full oven could be the best value for batch cooking or a large group. The arithmetic is simple. If a family meal needs two rounds in the air fryer basket, the air fryer's cost doubles, while the oven cooks everything at once.

What about a gas oven?

Gas is much cheaper than electricity for each kWh. In the US it is 5.05¢ against 18.16¢, about 28% of the price. In the UK it is 7.97p against 26.32p, about 30%.

That is why a gas oven comes out well in the rating table even though it burns more energy. In the US, 30 minutes at full burner on an 18,000 Btu/hr oven costs about 13¢, close to the 14–15¢ for an air fryer. In the UK, a 2.5–3.5 kW gas oven costs 10–14p for 30 minutes, less than any of the UK air fryers above.

Keep three cautions in mind. These figures rest on burner ratings, not on any official test. A gas oven still needs to preheat. And a gas range also uses a little electricity for ignition, the light and controls, which we have not counted.

Why your numbers may differ

• Your model. Air fryer ratings run from 1,450 W to 2,700 W on the models above, and ovens from about 2 to 5 kWh per hour.
• Your US state. August 2026 electricity prices run from 12.72¢/kWh in Nevada to 47.18¢/kWh in Hawaii. A 30-minute session in a 1,700 W air fryer costs 0.85 × 12.72¢ = 11¢ in Nevada and 0.85 × 47.18¢ = 40¢ in Hawaii. Gas ranges from $0.74/therm in Idaho to $5.06/therm in Hawaii (2025 averages), so 30 minutes on an 18,000 Btu/hr burner costs 0.09 × $0.74 = 7¢ in Idaho and 0.09 × $5.06 = 46¢ in Hawaii.
• US gas season. We use the 2025 annual average because EIA's monthly residential gas prices are much higher in summer.
• Where you live in the UK. The Ofgem cap covers Great Britain. The Energy Saving Trust's Northern Ireland figures are higher.
• Your settings. Temperature, fan mode and how often you open the door all change how much energy you use.

How to cut the cost

• Use the air fryer for one or two portions. That is where the Energy Saving Trust found the clearest saving.
• Use the full oven for batches. Cook several dishes at once rather than running the air fryer in rounds.
• Choose fan mode. On the Beko label test, fan mode used about 27% less energy than conventional mode.
• Keep it shut. The Energy Saving Trust advises not opening the air fryer drawer or oven door more than you need to.
• Part-cook on the hob. Boiling potatoes before roasting them cuts oven time, says the Energy Saving Trust.
• Switch off at the plug when you have finished, as the Energy Saving Trust suggests.

Keep it in proportion. The Energy Saving Trust says cooking is about 3% of an average home's energy use, so switching to an air fryer for small meals saves pennies or cents each time, not pounds or dollars.

Sources

1. Is it cheaper to cook with an air fryer, oven, microwave, hob or slow cooker? - Energy Saving Trust
2. EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by State
3. EIA Natural Gas Prices: Residential Price (annual)
4. Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges
5. Energy units and calculators explained - EIA
6. Energy saving in the kitchen: appliance running costs - Smart Energy GB
7. Wolf Total Btu Output by Model - Sub-Zero Wolf
8. Gas Cooker Running Cost Calculator UK
9. Ninja AF101 Air Fryer Review - Consumer Reports
10. Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6QT Air Fryer
11. Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook and OdourErase 5.7L Air Fryer
12. Philips Premium Airfryer XXL HD9650/99R1
13. Easy Fry Dual XXL EY942HG0 Air Fryer, 11L - Tefal UK
14. PRODUCT FICHE, Beko BBIM13300XPE
15. Kitchen Appliances - Energy Saver, US Department of Energy

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