How much does an air fryer cost to run in the UK?
You can work out the cost of any air fryer meal in under a minute. You need three numbers: the power, the cooking time and your electricity price.
The formula
Cost = power (kW) × time (hours) × your price per kWh
Your unit price is on your electricity bill or in your supplier's app, in pence per kWh in the UK or cent per kWh in Ireland. Prices change, so use your own figure.
Worked examples
The Smart Chef has a maximum power of 2800 W, which is 2.8 kW. That is with both drawers heating. The examples below use that full figure, so they are a worst case. The heating elements switch on and off once the set temperature is reached, so real use is usually lower.
| Cooking | Max energy | At 25p/kWh | At 35c/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 0.70 kWh | up to 18p | up to 25c |
| 20 min (chips) | 0.93 kWh | up to 23p | up to 33c |
| 30 min | 1.40 kWh | up to 35p | up to 49c |
| 50 min (whole chicken) | 2.33 kWh | up to 58p | up to 82c |
Example: 20 minutes is 0.33 hours. So 2.8 kW × 0.33 h = 0.93 kWh, and 0.93 kWh × 25p = about 23p at most.
Air fryer vs oven
An electric oven heats a much bigger space. It usually needs 10–15 minutes to preheat, and food often takes longer to cook. An air fryer heats a small drawer, starts cooking straight away and is often quicker. That is why it can use less energy for many everyday meals. With two drawers, you can cook a main and a side at once without switching the oven on at all.
Tips to use less electricity
- Skip preheating unless a recipe needs it.
- Use one drawer when cooking for one or two people.
- Use Sync to cook the whole meal at once instead of in batches.
- Do not overfill. Air needs to move, and a crowded drawer takes longer.
- Check through the window instead of opening the drawer, which lets heat out.
- Keep the drawers and element clean. Here is how to clean an air fryer.
Updated 2 November 2026
More guides
- Air fryer cooking times chart (UK)
- Dual drawer vs single drawer air fryer: which is best?
- How to clean an air fryer