- One in three households (33%) will use an air fryer to make Christmas dinner this year – up 37% compared with last year – in a bid to reduce festive energy bills[1]
- Meanwhile, one million households will deploy a toastie maker on Christmas Day, and 900,000 will turn to a barbecue for their festive feast[1]
- The use of halogen ovens is up nearly three quarters (73%) on last year, with the new appliance cooking food faster than traditional ovens[1]
- Amy Sheppard, author of HOB, shares her secret to cooking the perfect air fryer turkey
- Uswitch.com offers tips on how households can save energy this Christmas by using more efficient cooking methods.
One in three households (33%) – eight million homes – will use an air fryer to make Christmas dinner this year to save money on their energy bills — up 37% compared with last year[1], reveals research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Households are increasingly turning to energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen to save money on energy. Use of slow cookers is up 10% on last Christmas, and the number of cooks turning to halogen ovens has risen nearly three-quarters (73%) compared with last year[1].
Air fryers use a similar amount of power as ovens, but reduce energy costs by cooking food in half the time. Slow cookers are much lower-powered, but cook food over a longer period. Halogen ovens use halogen bulbs to heat the food, and while they are often more powerful than traditional ovens, the faster cooking times mean they use less energy.
Author and food influencer Amy Sheppard documented her experience cooking her turkey in the air fryer for Uswitch, testing the food hack ahead of the big day.
Amy said: “I find myself cooking dinners in the air fryer more and more. It's really convenient as there's little to no pre-heating, they're easy to clean and it's so much quicker than using the oven. The fact that Uswitch has calculated that it costs less than half the price to cook a turkey crown in an air fryer instead of an electric oven, is a brilliant bonus!”
Meanwhile, one million households will deploy a toastie maker on Christmas Day, and 900,000 will turn to a barbecue for their festive feast[1].
Table: Popularity of energy-efficient appliances for cooking Christmas dinner[1]
| Appliances | Last year | This year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halogen oven | 3% | 6% | 73% |
| Air fryer | 24% | 33% | 37% |
| Slow cooker | 10% | 11% | 10% |
| Microwave | 46% | 48% | 5% |
Source: Uswitch.com
An average household of four people should spend about £2.61 on energy to cook Christmas dinner this year, with the costs of cooking a 5kg turkey at 160oC in a fan oven for three and a half hours being around £1.72[2]. Last Christmas, cooking the same meal would have cost £2.94[2].
Air fryers usually offer large energy savings compared to a traditional oven when cooking simple meals, as their smaller volume means less energy is spent heating empty space. But with so many ingredients to cook in a Christmas dinner, it’s the one time the whole oven is being used, making it more energy-efficient for most households.
Table: Energy costs of cooking individual Christmas dinner items
| Food item | Cooking method | Time | Power (kW) | Energy cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6kg Turkey crown | Oven | 3.5 hours | 2 | £1.72 |
| Roast potatoes | Hob | 10 mins | 1.95 | £0.08 |
| Roast potatoes | Oven | 1 hour | 2 | £0.49 |
| Roast potatoes | Air fryer | 50 mins | 1.4 | £0.29 |
| Mashed potatoes | Hob | 20 mins | 1.95 | £0.16 |
| Mashed potatoes | Slow cooker | 4 hours | 0.1 | £0.10 |
| Carrots | Hob | 10 mins | 1.95 | £0.08 |
| Carrots | Microwave | 10 mins | 0.8 | £0.03 |
| Brussel sprouts | Hob | 10 mins | 1.95 | £0.08 |
| Brussel sprouts | Microwave | 10 mins | 0.8 | £0.03 |
| Parsnips | Oven | 30 mins | 2 | £0.25 |
| Parsnips | Air fryer | 15 mins | 1.4 | £0.09 |
| Yorkshire puddings | Oven | 20 mins | 2 | £0.16 |
| Yorkshire puddings | Air fryer | 10 mins | 1.4 | £0.06 |
| Pigs in blankets | Oven | 30 mins | 2 | £0.25 |
| Pigs in blankets | Air fryer | 8 mins | 1.4 | £0.05 |
| Stuffing | Oven | 30 mins | 2 | £0.25 |
| Stuffing | Air fryer | 10 mins | 1.4 | £0.06 |
| Gravy | Hob | 10 mins | 1.95 | £0.08 |
| Gravy | Microwave | 10 mins | 0.8 | £0.03 |
| Red cabbage | Hob | 10 mins | 1.95 | £0.08 |
| Red cabbage | Microwave | 10 mins | 0.8 | £0.03 |
| Xmas pudding | Microwave | 6 mins | 0.6 | £0.01 |
| Custard | Hob | 10 mins | 1.95 | £0.08 |
| Custard | Microwave | 10 mins | 0.8 | £0.03 |
Source: Uswitch.com
The free Uswitch mobile app links to a smart meter to help consumers understand their home energy consumption this winter, monitor when they are using the most power and find ways to cut costs around the home. Customers can also track their energy use in their Uswitch account online from next week.
Elise Melville, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Household budgets are tight at this time of year, so it’s no surprise to see cooks turning to energy-efficient gadgets to save money when making the Christmas dinner.
“One in three households plan to use air fryers when cooking their Christmas dinner this year — up by a third from last year. The good news is, if you try cooking turkey in the air fryer this year, it looks like you’ll get a tasty result too!
“Appliances like air fryers, slow cookers and microwaves are usually the most energy-efficient kitchen devices to cook with, especially if you’re not making enough food to fill the whole of the oven.
“Christmas is one of the few times of year when households use the whole oven, meaning it can work out to be more cost-effective on the big day.
“Households looking for an easy way to see how much energy they are using during and after the festive period can download the free Uswitch mobile app which lets consumers connect to their smart meter and track their energy use.”
Track your energy use with the Uswitch mobile app or your Uswitch account online.
For more information
Beverley Noble | Energy PR Manager
beverley.noble@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Research conducted online by Opinium, 25 to 29 October 2024, among 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Respondents were asked ‘When your household prepares the Christmas meal, which of the following did you use last year and will use this year to cook the food for Christmas dinner? Please select all that apply’. Full results below.
- 567 respondents said they were using an air fryer this year. 567 / 2000 x 28.4 million households in the UK = 8,051,400 households using an air fryer to cook Christmas dinner in 2024.
- 76 respondents are using a toastie maker this year, 76 / 2000 x 28.4 million households in the UK = 1,079,200 households using a toastie maker to cook Christmas dinner in 2024.
- 66 respondents are using a barbecue this year, 66 / 2000 x 28.4 million households in the UK = 937,200 households using a barbecue to cook Christmas dinner in 2024.
2. A 5kg turkey will take 3.5 hours to cook. Assume a 2kW fan oven. 2kW x 3.5 x £0.245/kWh = £1.72. See table in release. Assumes that turkey is cooked first, then left to rest for 30 minutes, while parsnips, stuffing and pigs in blankets cook with the roast potatoes. 4 hours total oven time + hob time + microwave time = £2.61. The same appliances and timings with energy costs of £0.27/kWh last year = £2.94.
| Appliances | Last Year | This year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halogen oven | 3% | 6% | 73% |
| Air fryer | 24% | 33% | 37% |
| Toaster | 12% | 14% | 13% |
| Coffee machine | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| Toastie maker | 4% | 4% | 10% |
| Slow cooker | 10% | 11% | 10% |
| Other | 1% | 1% | 9% |
| Cake mixer | 6% | 7% | 7% |
| Blender | 11% | 12% | 7% |
| Microwave | 46% | 48% | 5% |
| Oven | 72% | 74% | 3% |
| Kettle | 37% | 38% | 3% |
| Hob | 48% | 50% | 3% |
| Grill machine | 4% | 4% | -4% |
| Barbecue | 4% | 4% | -6% |
| Food steamer | 7% | 7% | -7% |
| Smoothie maker | 3% | 3% | -11% |
| Breadmaker | 4% | 3% | -36% |
| Waffle machine | 4% | 2% | -57% |
Please note the ‘last year’ and ‘this year’ column means the overall percentage change may not sum due to rounding.
Amy Sheppard partners with Uswitch to test cooking a 2kg turkey crown in an air fryer, links to Amy’s content shared by Uswitch:
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to find their energy, broadband and mobile deals than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.