What does it actually cost to run?

Tumble dryer (vented)

2.5 kWh · 2.5 kW, ~1 hr cycle

The dearest thing in most houses. An airer costs nothing.

Tumble dryer (heat pump)

1.05 kWh · ~1 kW average

Slower, but roughly a third of the vented cost.

Washing machine at 40°C

1 kWh · 7 kg, eco 40

Same machine at 30°C uses about a third less.

Dishwasher (eco cycle)

0.9 kWh · 12 place, eco

Usually beats washing by hand under a running tap.

Iron

0.8 kWh · 2.4 kW, 20 mins

Do a pile in one go while it's hot.

Washing machine at 30°C

0.65 kWh · 7 kg, eco 30

Modern powders are made for cold washes.

Vacuum cleaner

0.3 kWh · 900 W, 20 mins

Cheap. Hoover away.

Electric oven (1 hour)

2 kWh · 2 kW average

Batch cook while it's up to temperature.

Slow cooker (6 hours)

1.2 kWh · 200 W

Hours of cooking for pennies.

Fridge freezer (a day)

0.8 kWh · ~290 kWh a year

Always on — keep the back coils dust-free.

Air fryer (30 mins)

0.75 kWh · 1.5 kW

Genuinely cheaper than heating the big oven.

Chest freezer (a day)

0.7 kWh · ~250 kWh a year

A full freezer runs cheaper than a half-empty one.

Electric hob ring (20 mins)

0.6 kWh · 1.8 kW

Lid on the pot and it boils far quicker.

Microwave (10 mins)

0.15 kWh · 900 W

By far the cheapest way to reheat.

Kettle (full)

0.15 kWh · 3 kW, ~3 mins

Only boil what you'll actually drink.

Toaster

0.05 kWh · 1 kW, 3 mins

Not worth a second thought.

Kettle (one mug)

0.04 kWh · 3 kW, ~50 secs

A quarter of the cost of filling it.

Immersion heater (1 hour)

3 kWh · 3 kW

Grand in a hurry, dear as a daily habit.

Fan heater (1 hour)

2 kWh · 2 kW

Fine for one room, brutal for a whole house.

Dehumidifier (6 hours)

1.8 kWh · 300 W

Often cheaper than drying clothes on the radiators.

Oil-filled radiator (1 hour)

1.5 kWh · 1.5 kW

Holds its heat, so the thermostat cycles off.

Electric shower (10 mins)

1.4 kWh · 8.5 kW

Knock a minute off each one and you'll see it.

Hair dryer (10 mins)

0.3 kWh · 1.8 kW

Short bursts, small money.

Electric blanket (1 hour)

0.1 kWh · 100 W

Heat the bed, not the bedroom.

Gaming PC (3 hours)

1.2 kWh · ~400 W

The one bit of tech that genuinely adds up.

Games console (3 hours)

0.6 kWh · ~200 W

Turn rest mode off — it sips all night.

55" LED TV (4 hours)

0.4 kWh · 100 W

Far less than most people assume.

Laptop (8 hours)

0.4 kWh · 50 W

Cheaper than a single kettle-and-a-half.

Stuff left on standby (a day)

0.3 kWh · ~12 W total

Small each, but it never stops.

Broadband router (a day)

0.24 kWh · 10 W

Always on, and not worth switching off.

LED bulb (5 hours)

0.04 kWh · 8 W

An old halogen would cost seven times this.

EV charge (100 miles)

30 kWh · ~30 kWh

Still far cheaper per mile than petrol — a night rate helps more.

Hot tub (a day)

4 kWh · ~4 kWh keeping warm

Keep the cover on and the temperature down.

Pressure washer (20 mins)

0.6 kWh · 1.8 kW

Loud, but cheap.