Two in five households believe fryers will make traditional ovens “obsolete” in the future.
Since 2022, households have reduced furnace use by 48 percent, according to new data from Utilita Energy.
The cost of living crisis has led many households to consider alternative ways to cook efficiently and profitably, but deep fryers won’t be to everyone’s taste.
Take control? More than 40% of British households expect fryers to make traditional ovens “obsolete”, Utilita Energy said
According to Utilita, based on the average reduction in oven use of 48 per cent since 2022, households have saved £31.55 a year by using a fryer instead of an oven.
According to the findings, across the estimated 9.8 million households with a deep fryer, this equates to a total annual saving of £309 million across the UK.
This sum, he added, would cover the cost of the annual heating bill for 450,000 homes.
The cost of running fryers depends on their power output, which correlates to their size.
According to data, running an electric oven for 30 minutes costs around 50 cents. By contrast, a deep fryer can cost as little as 10p if it runs for 20 minutes in some circumstances.
People typically pay £110 for a deep fryer, with most opting for a medium-sized machine, the findings suggest. That means that, for most, it would take more than three years to pay for itself.
Large air fryers are the second most popular option, with 23 percent of shoppers opting for one, while 15 percent opt for a small air fryer.
Respectively, Ninja, Tower, Tefal, Phillips and Russell Hobbs are the most frequently purchased fryer brands, says Utilita Energy.
Gemma Hatvani with two of her children, Koa, 10, and Arlo, 4: they love deep fryers
Gemma Hatvani, 42, lives in Derbyshire with her five children, who are aged between four and 19.
Gemma, who runs the Facebook group Energy Support and Advice UK, is a big fan of deep fryers and now never uses an oven.
She told MailOnline: ‘I bought my first fryer in 2021 because I wanted to try and save money on my bills and be more efficient with my energy use.
‘Over the years, I have tried all the fryers. Some have collapsed, so not everything has been a bed of roses.
Gemma added: ‘Two years ago I bought a Ninja fryer, which cost me £200. It was worth the money. I can dehydrate things like tomatoes and oranges.
‘I can also cook a whole chicken in it, which is great for a Sunday roast. My kids also love to cook eggs. My 12 year old son can cook a whole roast.
‘My oven is now 100 percent redundant. 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 instead of an oven.
“Some people still seem risk-averse when it comes to making the transition to a deep fryer.”
Gemma told This is Money that she does not receive money from or have any brand association with any fryer company.
Time to cook! Gemma Hatvani’s children love cooking eggs in the family fryer
What a dish: Gemma Hatvani showed MailOnline one of the dishes cooked with her deep fryer
| Guy | Average cost per minute | Average cost per use | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Liters | Fryer | Electric oven | Fryer (20 minutes) | Electric Oven (30 min) |
| Little | 01-apr | €0.005 | €0.02 | €0.10 | £0.50 |
| Half | 4.1 – 8 | €0.007 | €0.02 | €0.14 | £0.50 |
| Big | 8.1 – 12 | €0.009 | €0.02 | €0.17 | £0.50 |
The data claims that 63 per cent of people bought a deep fryer “due to the lower running cost compared to the oven”, while almost a quarter said they had seen a “significant reduction” in their energy costs by using a fryer
Unfortunately, the findings suggest that 34 percent of households with a deep fryer have no idea how to maintain it.
Love them or hate them, in recent months it has been hard not to notice the prevalence of deep fryers on British television networks.
At Channel 5 we have had Air Fryers: Sunday Lunch Made Easy and Air fryers: do you have the right one?
And even Jamie Oliver has joined the trend, with Channel 4 recently broadcasting Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals.
Are you still one of your favorites? While many people have a deep fryer, ovens still remain in homes across the country.