Ofgem has explained how much everything from your kettle to your tumble dryer will now cost to use
Households benefiting from a slight reduction in energy bills are being cautioned(Image: Natalia Lebedinskaia via Getty Images)
Households benefiting from a slight reduction in energy bills are being cautioned that the largest drain on finances isn’t the tariff itself – but rather how appliances are being used.
Fresh data from Ofgem reveals the actual cost of daily habits under the April 2026 price cap – exposing a substantial gap between the most economical and most expensive routines. Ranging from merely 2p per hour for television viewing to as much as £1.44 for drying laundry, the contrast is striking.
With improved weather as spring transitions into summer, it becomes evident that line-drying clothes outdoors can yield considerable savings.
Ofgem’s recent analysis shows precisely what households pay each time an appliance is switched on:
- Tumble dryer: 57p to £1.44 per load
- Dishwasher: around 18p per cycle
- Fridge: 7p to 19p per day
- Microwave: about 7p per use
- Hairdryer: 7p to 54p for 8 minutes
- Television: roughly 2p per hour
- Electric oven: about 24p per use
- Kettle: around 7p for 5 minutes of use
- Air fryer: 7p to 14p per use
The data highlights a clear distinction – watching television for an hour costs virtually nothing, while heating food in a microwave or air fryer barely impacts the bill.
However, when heat and duration are combined, expenses escalate dramatically. A single tumble dryer cycle, for instance, can cost more than 20 times the amount of running a television for an entire evening.
The laundry trap
One of the most significant findings centres on the expense of drying clothes. While appliances such as dishwashers and microwaves keep costs fairly modest, the tumble dryer emerges as the single largest everyday expense in most households.
Even at the lower estimate (57p per load), frequent usage rapidly accumulates. At the upper limit (£1.44), several loads weekly can silently add hundreds to yearly bills.
Small habits, big impact
Ofgem’s data highlights how straightforward adjustments can produce noticeable savings:
- Swapping from oven (24p) to air fryer (7p–14p) can cut cooking expenses in half
- Reducing tumble dryer usage yields the most substantial savings
- Being conscious with high-wattage items like hairdryers can also reduce bills
Even seemingly inexpensive appliances – such as kettles – can mount up with frequent usage.
The most recent energy price cap, which witnessed a 7% reduction in tariffs from April 1 through until the end of June, has provided some respite to households following years of spiralling bills.
However, the regulator’s stance is unambiguous: consumption matters equally as much as pricing. The reality is that an evening watching television costs merely a few pence, while preparing dinner comes in under 25p, whereas drying a load of washing reaches £1.44.
