Site Prices Update
Last Updated28th June 2022
All calculations on this site are based on current fuel prices, they are checked regularly and calculations are automatically updated.
The costs calculated based on these fuel prices should be regarded as 'good estimates', given that fuel prices vary in different parts of the county and at different time of the year.
The calculations also have different levels of accuracy depending on the nature of the calculation. For example calculating the energy use of a known power output TV is very easy compared to calculating the effect on energy savings when insulating a cavity wall.
Site Calculations
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At Confused About Energy we aim to provide practical, impartial advice on all aspects of energy usage, climate change and ways to save money on energy bills.
All calculations on this site are based on current fuel prices they are checked regularly are automatically updated and were last changed on:-
28th June 2022
The costs calculated based on these fuel prices should be regarded as 'good estimates', given that fuel prices vary in different parts of the county and at different time of the year.
The calculations also have different levels of accuracy depending on the nature of the calculation. For example calculating the energy use of a known power output TV is very easy compared to calculating the effect on energy savings when insulating a cavity wall.
Site Calculations
| Electricity | £0.271 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Economy Electricity | £0.094 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Gas | £0.072 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Domestic LPG | £0.122 per unit (1 kWh) |
| Heating Oil | £0.104 per unit (1 kWh) |
| UK Grid CO2 Emissions | 0.233 kg per kWh used |
The main units used in this site are in the table below, For a complete explanation of power and energy Read More.
| Unit | Name | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| W | Watt | Unit of Power |
| kW | Kilowatt | 1000 watts |
| kWh | Kilowatt hour | Measure of Energy |
| L | Litre | Measure of Volume |
Please use twitter to ask a question Message @@EnergyThinking
What is cheaper, cooking in a microwave or in a traditional oven or hob?
What is cheaper, cooking in a microwave or in a traditional oven or hob? Research has been carried out into the costs of the different cooking methods for various different meals*. The research compared microwave cooking with cooking with an electric oven and hob and identified that savings can be made by making greater use of a microwave for certain types of food.
The first table compares some foods traditionally cooked on a hob with a microwave oven.
| Microwave | Electric Hob | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Portions frozen vegetables | ||
| Average Time taken | 6 min | 17 min |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.143 | 0.407 |
| Energy cost | £0.039 (0kg) |
£0.11 (0.1kg) |
| 4 Portions of boiled new potatoes | ||
| Average Time taken | 6 min 30 sec | 24 min 30 sec |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.15 | 0.50 |
| Energy cost | £0.041 (0kg) |
£0.136 (0.1kg) |
| 3 Portions baked beans | ||
| Average Time taken (mins:sec) | 8 min | 9 min |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.19 | 0.11 |
| Energy cost | £0.051 (0kg) |
£0.03 (0kg) |
| 4 Portions of Porridge | ||
| Average Time taken (mins:sec) | 11 min | 13 min 30 sec |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.26 | 0.24 |
| Energy cost | £0.07 (0.1kg) |
£0.065 (0.1kg) |
The research showed that the microwave oven was more energy efficient and cheaper than the hob for foods which are usually boiled in lots of water such as vegetables. When these are cooked in a microwave only small amounts of water are needed and cooking is much quicker, whereas on a hob lots of water is used and it takes a long time to come to the boil and then cook. For heating up or warming up food such as baked beans or porridge then the hob proved to be cheaper or about the same cost.
The table below compares the costs of microwave cooking for foods traditionally cooked in the oven.
| Microwave | Electric Oven | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Baked potatoes | ||
| Average Time taken | 10 min | 1 hour |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.232 | 0.916 |
| Energy cost | £0.063 (0.1kg) |
£0.248 (0.2kg) |
| Medium lasagne | ||
| Average Time taken | 8 min 30 sec | 30 min |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.20 | 0.62 |
| Energy cost | £0.054 (0kg) |
£0.168 (0.1kg) |
| Indian ready meal | ||
| Average Time taken | 19 min | 30 min |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.42 | 0.66 |
| Energy cost | £0.114 (0.1kg) |
£0.179 (0.2kg) |
| Frozen ready meal for 2 | ||
| Average Time taken | 15 min | 40 min |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 0.35 | 0.72 |
| Energy cost | £0.095 (0.1kg) |
£0.195 (0.2kg) |
| Roast chicken | ||
| Average Time taken | 26 min | 1 hr 30 min |
| Energy consumption (kWh) | 1.02 | 1.32 |
| Energy cost | £0.276 (0.2kg) |
£0.358 (0.3kg) |
The table shows that for most meals a microwave oven is cheaper than an electric oven. Generally speaking the greater the time differences between the different cooking methods the greater the savings. However it should be noted that the advantage of the microwave oven is reduced if multiple foods/meals are cooked in a conventional oven together. For example roasting a chicken with all the vegetables at the same time as opposed to separately in a microwave. Oh and Microwave Chicken, yuk.
It should also be noted that this research only compares microwave costs with electric oven and hob costs, it did not cover gas cooking which is cheaper than electric:
See gas cooking vs electric cooking...
*Market Transformation Programme: BNCK07: Comparing energy use in microwave ovens with traditional electric fuelled methods
Who the hell cooks baked beans for 8 mins in the microwave? 3 mins for 1 tin in ours and they are lava hot, i reckon they would catch fire before 8 mins, four portions of porridge in ours is 6 mins this is on an 800w microwave
How does a 800w microwave oven compare to a 3kw electric kettle for boiling 250ml of water?
dunno good question, will find out
How does 900w microwave oven compare to a 3kw electric kettle for boiling 250ml water?
The only way to roast with a microwave is to use something to change the microwaves to heat. As I said before advantage of a microwave is it heats even be it outside or centre so large items the centre starts to cook quicker. But even with something like a roast potato if the cooker is well insulated then it can cook it as cheap as a microwave. But the taste will be different.
Hi, would it be cheaper to use a combo microwave to say, roast a chicken than the electric cooker? I'm about to buy a microwave, and not sure whether to buy a microwave only, or a combi. My objective is to save energy only!
There are so many variables it would think near impossible to compare. Using an induction hob, like the microwave all power goes into the pan or food so it’s down to efficiency of the device and the amount of non food that is heated be it water or metal. Using a pressure cooker will clearly reduce time and therefore cost, but I use a pressure cooker (special plastic one) in the microwave.
The point is the results don't taste the same. So even if there was a standard microwave and standard oven and hob rather a pointless exercise.
Please give me a time converter from gas oven to microwave 800w
can you please compare the above microwave cooking against gas?
Comments and Questions