Two in five households believe air fryers will render traditional ovens ‘obsolete’ in the future.
Since 2022, households have cut their oven usage by 48 per cent, according to new data from Utilita Energy.
The cost-of-living crisis prompted many households to consider alternative ways to cook efficiently and cost-effectively, but air fryers won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Taking over? Over 40% of British households expect air fryers to render traditional ovens ‘obsolete’, Utilita Energy claimed
Based on the average oven usage reduction of 48 per cent since 2022, households have, Utilita claimed, saved £31.55 a year by using an air fryer rather than an oven.
Across the estimated 9.8million households with an air fryer, this equates to a total annual saving of £309million across the UK, according to the findings.
This sum would, it added, cover the cost of an annual heating bill for 450,000 households.
The cost to run air fryers depends on their power output, which correlates with their size.
According to the data, it costs around 50p to run an electric oven for 30 minutes. By contrast, an air fryer can cost as little as 10p to run for 20 minutes in some circumstances.
People typically pay £110 for an air fryer, with most opting for a medium-sized machine, the findings suggest. That means for most, it would take more than three years to pay for itself.
Large air fryers are the second most popular choice, with 23 per cent of buyers opting for one, while 15 per cent plump for a small air fryer.
Respectively, Ninja, Tower, Tefal, Phillips and Russell Hobbs are the most frequently purchased air fryer brands, Utilita Energy claims.
Gemma Hatvani with two of her children, Koa, 10, and Arlo, 4 – they love air fryers
Gemma Hatvani, 42, lives in Derbyshire with her five children, who are aged between four and 19.
Gemma, who runs the Energy Support and Advice UK Facebook group, is a huge fan of air fryers and now never uses an oven.
She told MailOnline: ‘I purchased my first air fryer in 2021 as I wanted to try and save money on my bills and be more efficient with my energy usage.
‘Over the years, I’ve tried every air fryer going. Some have fallen to bits, so it’s not all been plain sailing.’
Gemma added: ‘Two years ago I purchased a Ninja air fryer, which cost me £200. It was worth the money. I can dehydrate things like tomatoes and oranges in it.
‘I can also cook an entire chicken in it, which is great for a Sunday roast. My kids love cooking eggs in it too. My 12-year-old can cook an entire roast dinner.
‘My oven is 100 per cent redundant now. I don’t use it at all. I know not everyone is convinced yet, but I think more and more people will start using an air fryer rather than an oven.
‘Some people do still seem risk averse when it comes to transitioning to an air fryer.’
Gemma told This is Money she does not receive money from or have any brand partnerships with any air fryer business.
Time to cook! Gemma Hatvani’s kids love cooking eggs in the family air fryer
What a dish: Gemma Hatvani showed MailOnline one of her air fryer cooked dishes
| Type | Average cost per minute | Average cost per use | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Litres | Air fryer | Electric Oven | Air fryer (20 mins) | Electric Oven (30 mins) |
| Small | 01-Apr | £0.005 | £0.02 | £0.10 | £0.50 |
| Medium | 4.1 – 8 | £0.007 | £0.02 | £0.14 | £0.50 |
| Large | 8.1 – 12 | £0.009 | £0.02 | £0.17 | £0.50 |
The data claims that 63 per cent of people purchased an air fryer ‘due to the lower cost to run compared to the oven’, while almost a quarter said they had seen a ‘significant reduction’ in their energy costs when using an air fryer.
Unfortunately, the findings suggest 34 per cent of households with an air fryer have no idea how to maintain them.
Love them or loathe them, in the last few months, it has been difficult not to notice the prevalence of air fryers on Britain’s television networks.
On Channel 5, we’ve had Air Fryers: Sunday Lunch Made Easy and Air Fryers: Do you have the right one?
And even Jamie Oliver has jumped on the trend, with Channel 4 recently airing Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals.
Still a favourite at yours? While many people have an air fryer, ovens still remain in households up and down the country