Whisper, but as Boris declared this week, a proper kettle can really save money.

Whether you’re looking to replace your old microwave or just want your kettle to whistle when your tea is ready, these smart moves could save you money in the long run.

From stovetops to air fryers, here are some smart alternatives to help reduce your utility bills.

try an air fryer

Air fryers have exploded in popularity lately, and for good reason. Essentially an affordable small oven with a heating element and fan that delivers crispy, juicy results in less time and at lower temperatures compared to traditional ovens. Not only that, efficiency is greatly improved and running costs are reduced.

Exact costs vary by appliance and pricing, but factor in the long preheat time, cooking time, and required temperature of a standard oven, and it’s about double the cost of a modest air fryer.

A recent study conducted by Iceland and energy supplier Utilita found that the average air fryer costs just 14p a day (£52.74 a year) in normal use. Given that electric and gas cookers cost about £316 and £264 a year respectively, it may be time to start cooking your weekly steaks in your trusty air fryer.

The new Dual Basket Air Fryer comes with two separate baskets for cooking different foods at the same time, allowing you to cook twice as much in the same amount of time.

Available from Lakeland for £139.99.

whistle a little

If you have a gas stove, consider switching from the power-hungry electric kettle to a traditional stove instead. The large price difference between gas and electricity allows you to have extra cash in your pocket.

On his TikTok account (username: dinosaurdannyx), an engineer and researcher calculated the energy/price difference between boiling a kettle of water on a gas stove versus a regular electric kettle. and proved this.

The end result shows that while the gas stove consumes more energy, the price is about half (1.99p vs 3.94p) because gas is cheaper. Boris urged savers to buy a new electric kettle yesterday.

You can get a stylish stainless steel, gray marble effect kettle with built-in whistle from Amazon.

But if you’re measuring your water usage with a plug-in kettle, Dualit’s Classic Kettle includes a super-fast 3KW element for quick boiling.

Buy from Dualit for £134.95.

(not) unplug

Investing in a range of smart plugs with energy monitoring is a great way to monitor how much energy your most used devices are consuming, even in standby mode.

Not only is it a great way to learn where you can cut back on your consumption, but it’s also a great way to automatically turn everything off with a simple voice assistant command. And if you’re the type to worry about whether you’re leaving your curling iron on, using the app to remotely check your curling iron is a godsend.

TP-Link’s Tapo Smart plug allows you to turn devices on and off at will and control them remotely by showing you how much energy each device is using in a handy app .

Buy from Amazon for £9.49.

cooking with gas

If you’re struggling with an electric stove, you’ve got one of the most expensive cookware around. You can always get a portable gas stove.

Gas cylinders can be easily replaced, so it’s the same as using it at camp. You may have already knocked on the hut.

Even better, if you have a gas BBQ hidden away in your yard, it will give it new life as an outdoor stove. .

At just £15, you can get a portable gas camp stove that’s small enough to tuck in a cupboard when not in use, but powerful enough to cook up a storm. 10 pounds.

Available from Halfords for £15.

ride the waves

There’s more to microwaves than just reheating food and disappointing precooked meals. Used properly, they are formidable cooking tools in their own right, and there are many delicious microwave-friendly recipes.

Some staples include microwave rice and steamed vegetables. Both are incredibly easy and quick to make. But the real advantage is how cheap they are to run. Utilita’s research shows that microwaves are even cheaper than air fryers, and on average he costs about eightpence a day, or £30.03 a year.

Russell Hobbs microwave ovens offer all the microwave functionality you need while maintaining a sleek, minimalist design. At 800W, it’s powerful enough to handle anything you want to throw at it

Buy from Amazon for £69.99.

wash wisely

If your washing machine recently gave up the good fight, you can replace it with a more capacious, more efficient model. The new Samsung Series 5 may seem expensive at first, but its massive 11kg capacity allows you to use and wash a lot of water and energy at once.

You can also do smart laundry during off-peak hours from 10pm to 5am (a smart washer with a timer function is great for this). Plus, it helps keep costs down. If your clothes are not very dirty, you can also wash them at 30°C to save energy and use back-to-back loads to maximize the retained heat from the previous load.

Buy from Samsung for £529.

dry my tears

Tumble dryers are not energy efficient devices, but a few tricks can help. When buying a washing machine, look for energy ratings ranging from A+++ to G. Help your current washer by keeping the air filter free of fuzz and allowing the washer to drain as much water from the load as possible.

Shortening the extra spin cycle saves you more time on your tumble dryer. Pop duvet covers together to prevent small items from getting lost inside, detangle clothes to speed drying, and keep them dry in a well-ventilated room.

Drying clothes is not only labor intensive but also costly, but the new Miele TEF765 WP 8kg EcoSpeed ​​Green Performance Tumble Dryer cuts drying time by 40 minutes at full load and kills 99% of all bacteria. Claims it can be removed.

You can buy it from Miele starting around £999.

This article contains affiliate links. We charge a small fee for purchases made through one of these links, but this does not affect our expert opinion. Products have been tested and tested independently of any commercial initiative. be reviewed.

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