Energy supplier Utilita has partnered with Iceland supermarket to highlight energy-saving cooking methods to consumers.
Electric ovens have been revealed as the most expensive way to cook, with air fryers, microwaves and slow cookers all offering a cheaper alternative to households struggling with huge increases in energy prices.
Utilita and Iceland’s ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ collaboration will officially launch next month, with a commitment to 11 “pro-consumer, pro-planet pledges”, including revamped packaging from Iceland to explain more energy-efficient cooking appliances and methods, and a national ‘Cooking High 5’ consumer awareness tour, facilitated by Utilita outside Iceland stores.
The companies will also be selling a Tower air fryer at a discounted price of £35, which they say will have a payback period of 47 days (if they use instead of conventional oven).
Cooking research
The research looked at the costs to cook (per minute) for each of the main types of cooking appliance and found that the average household spends 43 minutes cooking each day and almost half (42%) admit to using the oven by default for the main part of their cooking needs.
Utilita’s research found the the electric cooker used the most energy and the microwave was the most economical to run, with the potential to cut the cost of cooking by 60-90% by switching methods.
| APPLIANCE | COST PER DAY TO RUN | COST PER WEEK TO RUN | COST PER MONTH TO RUN | COST PER YEAR TO RUN | CO₂e EMISSIONS (equivalent miles driven in avg car) |
| Electric cooker | 87p | £6.09 | £26.38 | £316.54 | 609 |
| Dual cooker (part electric, part gas) | 72p | £5.08 | £22 | £264.03 | 609 |
| Gas cooker | 33p | £2.32 | £10.07 | £120.83 | 611 |
| Slow cooker | 16p | £1.15 | £4.98 | £59.76 | 115 |
| Air fryer | 14p | £1.01 | £4.40 | £52.74 | 102 |
| Microwave | 8p | 58p | £2.50 | £30.02 | 58 |
Bill Bullen, Utilita Founder and CEO, said: “For as long as we can remember, our kitchens have been designed around the oven being the main cooking method, which isn’t the case for many households today. Much more economical cooking appliances such as air fryers, slow cookers and microwaves have become increasingly more popular. However the cooking instructions on food packets haven’t reflected this.
“Utilita and Iceland are closely aligned in our mission to help households make their money go further. There are so many factors that neither Richard or I can control today, but the cost of cooking is mutual ground that we can help consumers with. This unique partnership will hopefully urge other supermarkets to do the same and help consumers choose the most economical cooking methods.”
Richard Walker, Iceland’s Managing Director, said: “The cost of living crisis continues to be the biggest national issue facing consumers and as a private, family-run business, we’re constantly looking at both short, and long term initiatives that can offer any support.
“Our ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ collaboration with Utilita is so important, as it shines a light on the relationship between what we buy and how much energy we use cooking it, helping to empower our customers and provide them with access to information that can help stretch their budgets further.”
Archie Lasseter, Utilita’s Sustainability Lead, said: “The rising cost of energy is going to create seismic shifts in consumer behaviour associated with energy consumption through a new awareness of the cost to consume. The impact will be far greater than any of the Government’s green initiatives ever could have achieved.
“Although cooking is said to account for four percent of the average energy bill, the savings speak for themselves. It’s vital that consumers are given the facts they need in order to use less energy in the interest of the pocket and the planet.
“As experts in energy behaviour change, we know that consumers need to know in pounds and pence what their actions will save them, and we know that every household budgets differently, hence the daily, weekly and monthly cost savings set out in this campaign.”
