How Much Energy Is Your Electric Oven Using & What's the Cost?
While they may not be the most commonly used appliance in your home, ovens are among the most energy-demanding. In fact, aside from your fridge (which runs 24/7), your oven is likely responsible for the highest energy consumption out of all your kitchen appliances.
Of course, that's because it takes a lot of power to bake those cookies or roast those vegetables. If you love baked goods as much as we do, then you know that it can be worth it. But how much is your oven usage really costing you? Are there opportunities for you to cut your electricity costs? We're willing to bet that there are. Especially if you're good about keeping your oven door closed.
Check out our electric oven energy cost calculator below to get a sense of how much it costs to run your oven.
Electric oven energy cost calculator
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Energy language can be confusing. Below, we break down what you need to know to use our calculator.
Watts measure the rate at which electricity moves through an appliance. More watts mean more electricity, and ovens at higher temperatures typically use more watts.
Ovens typically use between 2000 and 5000 watts. You can look your oven up on google or read the manual to get a sense of the wattage. Once you have wattage, divide the number by 1000 to get kilowatts.
Kilowatts = (Amps x Volts) / 1000
According to US Energy Information Administration, the average cost of electricity in the U.S. is 16 ¢/kWh. However, this number can vary depending on your electricity supplier. Today, people in some states have the power to shop for their electricity and find cheaper rates.
What is the cost and energy consumption of different types of electric ovens?
The cost of your electric oven per hour depends on a few factors including cooking time, power consumption, and temperature (how high you turn your electric oven). This table will help you understand the power consumption and the cost of running your electric ovens.
Watts | Cost / hr* | Avg cost / month* |
|---|---|---|
| 1500 W | $0.240 | $7.20 |
| 2800 W | $0.448 | $13.44 |
| 5000 W | $0.800 | $24.00 |
How to save on the cost of running an electric oven?
1.
Keep that oven door closed
As tempting as it is to check in on your baked goodies as they're cooking in the oven, every time you open your oven, you're letting heat out, which means your oven has to work harder to hold its temperature. Keep it closed and save energy!2.
Cook more than one dish at a time
Ovens are extremely powerful, and often times roomy. Plan out your meal prep so that when it comes to cooking time, you can put multiple items in the oven and minimize how long your oven has to run. See if it's possible to cook certain dishes at the same temperature. This will definitely reduce your power consumption.3.
Thaw your food before cooking it
Thawing is important for more reasons than that it saves you time and energy on using your oven. You greatly reduce how long you have to run your oven if you make sure your food is thawed before you throw it in the oven.4.
Use ceramic or glass pans
Glass and ceramic pans hold heat better than most metal pans and trays. With glass or ceramic, you may be able to use a lower heat setting to cook your food, or even cook your food more efficiently for less time!5.
Use the microwave when you can
Microwaving your food requires much less energy than powering up your oven. And if you're simply reheating an item, it will taste just as good!6.
Choose Perch Energy
At Perch, we're on a mission to make cleaner energy more accessible, more affordable, and more equitable for all. Whether you rent an apartment, own a home, or run a business, Perch offers multiple ways to save money on your electricity bills, or even help the planet, too.- For guaranteed savings on your annual electricity cost, join a community solar project in your area. Perch will help match you to a local solar farm—you'll support the operations of that farm so that it can generate and contribute as much clean, solar energy to the overall grid. You don't directly receive electricity from the solar power you're supporting, but thanks to government incentives, you'll get credits toward your own utility bill. Essentially, you're being rewarded with discounts on your own electricity because you're enabling solar generation and development in your state.
- With Perch, you can take your fossil-fuel-fighting, money-saving ways even further when you also switch your home or business' electricity plan to cleaner energy. If you're on your utility's default basic service rate, it's a "mixed" energy plan (generated partly by fossil fuels, partly by renewable resources). But Perch can switch you to a low-cost cleaner energy plan—outside of what your utility is offering—that's backed 100% by clean, renewable resources like solar and wind. We'll find you a price that's lower than the market rate for similar options in your area. You don't have to do anything differently, but you'll feel great knowing that your personal electricity usage is now contributing to a healthier planet, and you've reduced your everyday carbon footprint.