Skip to content
WattWorth

Cost to run an electric hob

Each 30 minutes use of an electric hob drawing 2,000 W costs 26.3p at 26.32p/kWh. Used 1 use a day of 30 minutes, every day, that comes to £8.01 a month.

Each use costs

26.3p a use

That is 1.00 kWh. Used as set, it comes to £8.01 a month and £96.07 a year.

On the label or in the manual.

Standby, thermostats and off-peak use

Drawn while plugged in and not running.

Electricity price

26.32p/kWh in the United Kingdom

Default Ofgem, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026.
Running cost, energy and emissions by period
PeriodCostEnergyCO2e
A use26.3p1.00 kWh217 g
A day, on average26.3p1.00 kWh217 g
A month£8.0130.4 kWh6.6 kg
A year£96.07365 kWh79.4 kg

How we calculated this

Energy is power multiplied by time: 2,000 W for 30 minutes uses 1.00 kWh each time.

The starting use for an electric hob, 1 use a day of 30 minutes, every day, is where the calculator starts, not a measurement of your home: change it to how you use yours. A day is the average across the week, and a month is a twelfth of a 365-day year.

Electricity costs 26.32p/kWh. That is the published figure for the United Kingdom, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026, from Ofgem. Average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. No VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Standing charges are left out: you pay them whether or not the appliance runs.

Emissions use 0.217 kg CO2e per kWh, the lifecycle intensity of electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2025, from Ember, via Our World in Data. Lifecycle means building the power stations and supplying their fuel are counted too. It is the grid’s average, not the particular power station an extra appliance brings on.

What drives the cost

An electric hob draws 2,000 W while a ring is on at full power, and a lot less on a low setting. Cooking for 30 minutes at full power uses 1.00 kWh and costs 26.3p, so how long the rings are on matters more than which ring you choose.

Also called: hob, electric cooktop, ceramic hob, electric stove.

What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US

For an electric hob used as typical (1 use a day of 30 minutes, every day), at each country’s published average electricity price.

CountryElectricity priceA use
United Kingdom26.32p/kWh26.3p
United States (average)18.19¢/kWh18.2¢
Ireland€0.4042/kWh€0.40
Germany0,3869 €/kWh0,39 €
France0,2561 €/kWh0,26 €
Spain0,2669 €/kWh0,27 €
Italy0,2966 €/kWh0,30 €
Netherlands€ 0,2558/kWh€ 0,26

Compared with similar appliances

ApplianceTypical powerAn hourA year, typical use
Electric hob2,000 W52.6p£96.07
Electric oven2,100 W55.3p£108.08
Microwave oven1,000 W26.3p£16.01
Kettle3,000 W79p£72.05

How to spend less on it

  • Put a lid on the pan: it keeps the heat in, so you can turn the ring down and cook for less energy.
  • Match the pan to the ring, and turn the ring down as soon as the pan is hot.
  • Use the kettle to bring water to the boil, then pour it into the pan: it is a more efficient heater than a hob ring.

Questions

How much does an electric hob cost to run per hour?

At 26.32p/kWh, an electric hob drawing 2,000 W costs 52.6p for every hour of running at full power.

How much does an electric hob cost to run a year?

Used 1 use a day of 30 minutes, every day, it costs about £96.07 a year at 26.32p/kWh, or £8.01 a month.

How much does cooking on an electric hob cost?

A meal that takes 30 minutes at full power costs 26.3p at 26.32p/kWh. Most cooking runs on lower settings for part of the time, so this is usually the upper end.

Sources

  1. How much electricity am I using?, Centre for Sustainable Energy, July 2026. “Hob (2000 W)”

More calculators

Your prices

Every calculator uses these. They are saved on this device and nowhere else.

Pick where you live for your local prices.

Electricity

Default Ofgem, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026.

Default Ofgem, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026.

Gas

Default Ofgem, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026.

Default Ofgem, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026.