At the Ofgem cap rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026, an electric oven rated 2500W costs about 26.3p a use and £67.25 a year when 1 hour a time, 5 times a week.
| Per hour of running | 26.3p |
|---|---|
| Per use | 26.3p |
| Per day | 18.4p |
| Per year | £67.25 (255 kWh) |
Calculated at 26.32p per kWh, the capped electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 on a standard variable tariff paid by direct debit. Electricity carries no VAT in that period, so this is the full unit price. The 54.83p daily standing charge is not included, because you pay that whether or not anything is switched on.
Two things worth knowing about that figure. The cap limits the unit rate, not your bill, so using more still costs more. And it is a Great Britain average: the actual capped rate is set per region, so your own rate could move these numbers either way. It is on your bill.
Electric oven has a thermostat, so the element or compressor switches off once it reaches temperature and back on when it drifts. The figures above assume it draws full power roughly 40% of the time it is on, which is typical.
This is where most running-cost figures online go wrong. Multiplying 2500W by the hours it is switched on would give £166.78 a year, which is roughly 2.5 times the real figure.
Figures for electric oven run from about 2000W to 3000W. The rated wattage is what the element draws while heating. Once the oven reaches temperature it cycles to hold it, so a one hour bake does not draw full power for an hour. Fan ovens reach temperature faster and hold it more evenly, which cuts the duty cycle a little.
Skip long preheats for anything that is not baking. Cook more than one thing at a time. For a single portion an air fryer or microwave uses a fraction of the energy, because it heats a much smaller space.
Preheating for twenty minutes out of habit. Most ovens reach 180C in well under ten.
Annual running cost against the appliances closest to it, on the same assumptions. The ordering surprises people: short bursts of very high wattage usually cost less than something modest left on for hours.
| Appliance | Per year |
|---|---|
| Washing machine | £98.85 |
| Kettle | £72.05 |
| Electric oven | £67.25 |
| Laptop | £46.11 |
| Games console | £43.23 |
Across a year, an electric oven on these assumptions is about 10.2% of a typical annual electricity bill of £658.00 at these rates.
The figures here use the capped rate. If you are on a fixed tariff, or you want to add several appliances together, put your own unit rate into the energy cost calculator on the homepage.