How Much Does It Cost to Run a Toaster in the UK? (2026)

Toasters draw a lot of power for only a couple of minutes, so a slice of toast costs a tiny fraction of a cent. Four-slot models use more but toast more at once.

A typical toaster (1,000 W) costs £0.26 per hour, or about £0.79 per month at 0.1 hours a day in the UK. Cheap to run

Electricity price region

Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low 800 W	£0.21	£0.021	£0.63	£7.69
Typical 1,000 W	£0.26	£0.026	£0.79	£9.61
High 1,500 W	£0.39	£0.039	£1.18	£14.41

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 0.1 h/day ≈ 36 kWh per year.

One hour of a toaster (1.0 kWh) is the same electricity as

5.6km in an electric car
10hours of TV
22hours of a laptop
111hours of an LED bulb

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #20 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In the UK, with electricity at 26.3p per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Oct–31 Dec 2026, 2026-10), a typical toaster costs £0.26 per hour and about £9.61 per year at 0.1 hours a day. Each £1.00 of electricity buys roughly 3.8 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a toaster

Toast both slots at once rather than one at a time.
Clean out crumbs. A dirty toaster heats unevenly and needs longer.
Skip the extra-dark setting unless you want it. Each notch adds time.

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a toaster use per slice?

About 0.03 kWh for two slices, well under a cent almost everywhere.

Is a toaster cheaper than a toaster oven?

Yes for toast. A toaster oven takes longer and heats more air.

Does a toaster use power when not in use?

No, unless it has a digital display.

Cost by region

US states

Canadian provinces

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz