I have been using the oven more than often nowadays.
Baking cakes and other savory dishes has become an everyday food habit for my family.
While I am enjoying home cooking, I also wonder if ovens use a lot of electricity.
Do Ovens Use a Lot of Electricity?
Ovens need a lot of power (about 2-4 kilowatts) to function so they do consume a lot of electricity.
The good news is that using an oven won’t lead to a huge increase in your electric bill. This is because you don’t need to keep the oven on for the whole day or a lot of hours.
The consumption of electricity by a convection electric oven depends on the following factors:
- How frequently do you use the oven
- How long does it remain operational (Time duration)
- What temperature do you use to cook your food? The energy intake increases with an increase in temperature.
Allow me to divulge in detail regarding the electricity consumption of the oven
Also read: Broiler vs Oven
What Is the Electricity Consumption of an Oven?
On average, the oven uses about 2000 watts or 2 Kilowatts per hour to run. The range may fall anywhere between 1000 watts to 3500 watts.
The electricity consumption is different for different sizes and models of the oven.
- Countertop ovens mostly fall in the power range of 1000-2000 watts.
- Wall-mounted single ovens come with a power range of 2000-3500 watts.
- Double Wall ovens have a power range of 4000- 8500 watts. But these are mostly in commercial settings where you need two big ovens to work together simultaneously.
Let us discuss the power usage of an electric convection oven before going into electric consumption details.
What Is the Power Usage of an Electric Convection Oven?
When the ovens run at their full capacity, it is called the ‘wattage rating’ of a particular oven.
The most common range any electric oven uses falls in between 1000 to 3500 watts of power. This is an instant flow of electricity at any moment.
Depending on the temperature you set, an oven may run at a lower wattage than its rating of power.
To find out how much electricity consumption you get in your bill for the oven, the power rating is not enough though. This is because you would want to know the electricity consumption of an oven for a month.
Let us find out that value by finding out the watts it consumed every hour and the time duration when the oven was running.
Electricity Consumption of an Oven in One Hour
An average oven with a power rating of 2000 watts (2KW) will use 2 kWh of electricity in one hour when running at its full capacity.
Ovens with a power rating of 1000 watts will use 1kWh in one hour
Similarly, ovens with a power rating of 3500 watts will use around 3.5 kWh in one hour.
As I have mentioned before, an oven with a particular wattage may work at a lower power if you are running it at a lower temperature. This will, in turn, lower the electricity usage of an oven for one hour.
For example, a 2000 watts oven might draw only 1500 watts when used at a lower temperature. So in this case, it will only draw 1.5kWh of electricity in one hour.
Let us now proceed towards the electricity consumption of an oven in one month
Also read: Using Oven to Heat House is Bad Idea
How Much Electricity Does an Oven Use in One Month?
If we consider an average-size oven with a power rating of 2 kilowatts that is used for one hour every month, it would use somewhere about 60kWh of electricity in one month.
This is assuming that it is running at full capacity for one hour every day.
The electricity usage will decrease if you use it for three to four or five days a week. Lower temperature will also consume lower watts and you might even use it for less than one hour every day.
Meals that are being cooked in bulk frequently, and cooking for a longer duration of time will increase the electric energy consumption in a month.
This is especially true for big families as the run may need to be cooked for longer durations to cook many plates in batches.
How Much Does it Cost to Use an Oven?
I would like to answer this by giving an example.
Assuming the electricity rate in your area is 14 cents/kWh and your oven has an average 2kW rating and runs on its highest wattage, the oven will cost you about 28 cents per hour.
0.14 x 2 = 0.28 cents per hour
If you calculate per month, it would cost around 8.4 dollars.
This will only apply if your oven has a wattage rating of 2kW and runs on its highest rating for one hour every day, and the energy price in your area is 14 cents/kWh.
In California, the energy rate is 24 cents/kWh.
So the cost would be around 48 cents for one hour and 14.4 dollars per month for using the oven for one hour every day.
The actual cost for your oven might differ according to the following :
- The wattage rating of your oven
- The temperature you use to cook your food inside the oven
- The time duration it takes to cook your meal
- The electric energy rates of your particular area
How Much Electricity Do Toaster Ovens Use?
According to an authority on energy guide for commercial products, toaster ovens can save up to 50% of the energy needed to cook food compared to a regular oven.
A regular toaster oven has a power rating of 1200 watts. You will also find toaster ovens with 1800 watts.
The same formulae of reducing the number of watts and reducing duration work with a toaster oven for less energy consumption.
To calculate the amount of electricity usage per day, multiply the wattage of the toaster oven by the number of hours used and divide by 1000.
For example, a toaster oven with a power rating of 1500Watts will require 1.5 units per hour.
Also read: Air Fryer vs Toaster Oven – What’s the Difference?
How Much Electricity Do Halogen Ovens Use?
Halogen ovens use more electricity compared to conventional ovens.
However, the time duration is quicker compared to traditional ovens. So the cost may be more or less the same for the same recipe.
A standard halogen oven runs at about 1300 watts. So if you run it for one hour every day at maximum wattage, the cost would be roughly around 65 dollars a year.
This is keeping in mind an average US rate of 13.19 cents per kWh.
However, halogen bulbs are being phased out due to climate change. In the UK they are being banned for general household use.
So, if the halogen bulb inside the oven gets damaged, it will be difficult to find a replacement.
Tips to Make Ovens More Energy Efficient
- For small meal preps in one batch, consider using an air fryer or stovetops.
- Do not purchase a very large oven. The larger the oven, the more the power rating. It would also be underutilized if you do bulk cooking only once a month. You could, instead, purchase a smaller oven that fits your everyday needs and cook in batches when you need to cook a lot of food.
- If you cook in bulk every day and need a large oven, check out the energy star-certified ovens. The manufacturers claim that these are cooking energy efficient so they use less energy while cooking. (Look out for an A+ star rating and more).
- To save energy, avoid unnecessarily opening the oven door. The oven will again have to heat up and take energy to compensate for the heat loss
- If you cut the food into smaller portions, they will cook faster taking less time
- Defrost the frozen food beforehand instead of defrosting them in the oven.
- If you have an old oven, consider replacing it with an energy-efficient newer model
- If you are tight on cash and do not wish to increase electricity costs, purchase an oven with lower wattage.
- Use oven-friendly cookware that heats up quickly and retains heat for a long time.
Conclusion
I hope now you know when your convection oven will use a lot of electricity and how much it will cost you.
Using the oven for an hour or less every day will not cause you a lot of electricity.
It all depends on the power rating of your oven, your time duration, and the frequency of cooking/baking.
If you have an average electric convection oven with a power rating of 2000 watts, you will use 2 kWh of electric energy in one hour when running it at maximum power wattage.
This means you will be using 60kWh per month if you use it once every day at maximum power.
Find out the energy rate in your particular area and divide it by the kWh.
For example, with an electric rate of 14 cents per kWh, this would be 14*2 = 28 cents per hour. That would be 8.4 dollars per month.
Follow my tips above to make your oven energy efficient and save up on electricity. Stay informed!
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