How Much Electricity Does a Slow Cooker Actually Use? (UK Guide)

I’ve run the numbers against the current Ofgem unit rate and compared it to the appliances I actually use day-to-day near the East Sussex coast. Everything below is based on real figures, not estimates.

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Quick answer: In the UK, a typical slow cooker costs roughly 32p to 53p to run for 8 hours, depending on its wattage and your tariff. For many homes, that makes it one of the cheapest ways to cook a proper hot meal — and usually cheaper than using a fan oven for the same kind of dish. If you are shopping for one, we have reviewed the best slow cookers for UK kitchens.

Slow cooker vs oven vs air fryer: running cost at a glance

If you need a meal cooked slowly over several hours, the slow cooker is usually much cheaper than the oven. If you are just crisping, reheating or cooking something small and fast, the air fryer often wins.

What wattage does a slow cooker use?

Most UK slow cookers sit somewhere around 100W to 300W, with compact models at the lower end and larger family-size pots toward the higher end.

• Small / compact slow cooker: around 100W to 150W
• Standard family slow cooker: around 180W to 250W
• Larger digital models: around 250W to 300W

How much does a slow cooker cost to run per hour?

Using the current average Ofgem electricity unit rate for October to December 2026 of 26.32p per kWh:

Note on tariffs: The Ofgem cap is reviewed quarterly — the next change takes effect on 1 January 2027 — so exact costs shift a little each quarter. If you’re on a fixed or Economy 7 tariff, use your own unit price in the formula below.

How much electricity does a slow cooker use for one meal?

For a typical 8-hour cook, a slow cooker uses around 1.2 to 2.0 kWh. A 200W example:

200W × 8 hours = 1.6 kWh
1.6 × 26.32p = 42p

If it feeds four people, that’s about 11p per portion in electricity. That’s the reason slow cookers still make sense: the running cost is low, and the cost per portion drops further when you batch cook.

Real-world smart-meter data backs up the maths above: a big pot of beef stew — the kind that feeds four and has leftovers for Friday — typically costs around 44–48p to run at these rates. With ingredients around £6, that’s a proper dinner for four at under £1.70 a head, electricity included. It’s difficult to argue against that as a winter weeknight cooking method. If you’re working to reduce overall household running costs, our guide to UK household energy costs and our household budgeting guide are good next reads.

Typical slow cooker meals and electricity cost

Is a slow cooker cheaper than an oven?

For the kinds of meals a slow cooker is designed for, yes — usually by quite a margin. A fan oven running at around 2200W for 1.5 hours works out at about 87p at the current rate. A slow cooker at 200W for 8 hours comes out at about 42p. The slow cooker is slower, of course, but it is still using substantially less electricity overall.

The other benefit is that slow cooker food suits cheaper ingredients: shin beef, pork shoulder, chicken thighs, lentils, beans, onions, carrots.

Is a slow cooker cheaper than an air fryer?

Not always. The air fryer is usually cheaper for short, hot cooking. If you are reheating leftovers or cooking something in 15–25 minutes, the air fryer will often cost less. But that’s not the same job. The slow cooker comes into its own when you want a full family meal ready at the end of the day, cheaper cuts made properly tender, or soup and chilli in bulk.

How to calculate slow cooker running cost yourself

The simple formula: (Watts ÷ 1000) × hours used × electricity unit rate = running cost

Example: 200W slow cooker, 8 hours, 26.32p per kWh → (200 ÷ 1000) × 8 × £0.2632 = £0.42

Our methodology — and a note for journalists

Every figure on this page is calculated at the Ofgem price cap electricity unit rate for 1 October–31 December 2026 of 26.32p per kWh (typical annual dual-fuel bill £1,723; the 54.83p/day standing charge is excluded, as it’s paid whichever appliance you cook with). Energy per use is rated power multiplied by cooking time — for example 0.2kW × 8 hours = 1.6kWh × 26.32p = 42p for a family slow cooker, against 2.2kW × 1.5 hours = 3.3kWh × 26.32p = 87p for a fan oven casserole. For a household batch-cooking twice a week, that gap is worth around £47 a year. Wattages are typical published ratings for each size class; slow cookers cycle between elements, so treat these as conservative comparative estimates. We recalculate every figure each time Ofgem revises the cap.

Journalists: you’re welcome to cite these figures with a link to this page. Contact [email protected].

How to make slow cooking even cheaper

• Batch cook properly. A large pot makes the electricity cost per portion even lower.
• Use the right size cooker. A huge pot for one portion is less efficient than a model that suits your household.
• Avoid lifting the lid. Every peek lets heat escape and can add cooking time.
• Choose ingredients that suit slow cooking. Chicken thighs, beef shin, pork shoulder, beans and lentils are where it shines.
• Plan leftovers in advance. One pot should ideally cover dinner plus lunch or freezer portions.
• Cook pulses from scratch. Dried lentils and chickpeas cost far less than tinned, and a slow cooker makes light work of them: lentils go straight in, while chickpeas want soaking overnight and then six to eight hours on low. One exception: dried red kidney beans must be soaked and then boiled hard for ten minutes before they go in, because a slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough to make them safe.
• Use up odds and ends. Wilting vegetables, the last of a bag of lentils or a bit of leftover roast chicken can all go into a stew or soup instead of the bin.

Which size slow cooker is best?

• 1.5L to 3.5L: best for one or two people
• 3.5L to 5L: a good all-round family size
• 6L to 6.5L+: best for batch cooking, stews, soups and larger joints

Best Slow Cookers for Energy-Efficient Cooking

Best value family slow cooker: Tower 6.5 Litre Stainless Steel Slow Cooker — strong all-round value, ideal for batch cooking and larger meals

Best small slow cooker: Tower 3.5 Litre Stainless Steel Slow Cooker — practical for couples, smaller kitchens, calmer weeknight cooking

Best digital slow cooker: 6.5 Litre Digital Slow Cooker — programmable controls for more convenience and capacity