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Energy prices and the cost of living in general are on the rise. And if you've recently had an electricity or gas bill that's more than you thought, or you're looking to reduce the amount of energy you use in the home, it's a great idea to look at your appliances and how much they're costing you to see where you could make some savings.

Opting for certain cooking appliances over others could make a difference to your bills

Although the biggest energy-sucking culprits in your home are probably the appliances you use for heating and cooling (they use about 40% of your total energy use), appliances used for cooking still account for about five percent of your total energy consumption. Which means that opting for certain cooking appliances over others could make a difference to your bills.  

But which cooking appliances use the most energy and what are they really costing you? And what can do to reduce the amount of energy you're using in the kitchen? 

When CHOICE kitchen experts test cooking appliances – such as wall ovens, microwaves, air fryers or multi-cookers – they also look at how efficient appliances are and calculate running costs. 

Although it's difficult to compare the same cooking tasks like for like (due to the different methods and styles of cooking for different appliances, plus the fact that same types of cooking appliances vary in efficiency), we've laid out the average running costs for each cooking appliance to help you understand any changes and cost savings you could make. 

Generally the oven is the most expensive cooking appliance – this is because it is the biggest and most versatile

CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair says, "We recommend using our reviews to choose energy-efficient kitchen appliances which will ultimately cost you less over time, but the way you use your appliances, as well as which appliances you use, can also have a big impact on your power consumption and carbon footprint. 

"Generally the oven is the most expensive cooking appliance – this is because it is the biggest and most versatile.

"Smaller appliances generally use less power than larger ones, so using the microwave instead of the oven and the toaster instead of the grill, for example, will save you money. An air fryer may not be suitable for all cooking tasks, but will use less energy than an oven as it is smaller and quicker to heat up and cook smaller quantities of food."

Range of running costs for appliances CHOICE has reviewed in this category

From $331 to $651 over 10 years (from $31 to $65 per year)

From $9.48 to $16.72 per year (reheating only)

From $32 to $98 per year (low setting) From $23 to $84 per year (high setting)

*We use a price of 30 cents per kWh to calculate costs, which was the national average at the time of calculation. Check with your electricity supply to find out how much you’re paying.

Air fryers are generally a cheap appliance to cook with. They're smaller than an oven so they heat up faster, they cook food in smaller quantities, and generally don't require preheating. In some cases, cooking time can be faster in comparison to an oven, and this makes an air fryer more energy-efficient and therefore cheaper to run. 

But the quantity of food you're cooking matters too. If you need to cook multiple batches to complete your meal, it would outweigh the energy savings. Depending on the size of your air fryer and what you're cooking, you may be better off using your oven. 

We calculate the running cost per year for each air fryer we test, based on using it three times a week for 30 minutes at 200° C. The running costs depend on the size and model of the air fryer. But some models have running costs of just $9 per year, whereas others have running costs that go up to $51 per year. 

CHOICE members can check our detailed air fryer reviews to find out more.

We've tested to find you the best.

CHOICE experts have reviewed more than 40 ovens and have calculated running costs for each model that range from $331 to $651 over 10 years (from $31 to $65 a year).

The running costs are calculated based on running the oven at 170°C for one hour, three times a week for 10 years at 30c per kWh. Where available, the fan-forced function is used, otherwise the fan-assist is used. For models without either function, the top and bottom elements (convection or traditional bake) are used.

Great for so much more than heating up leftovers, microwaves are an economical and handy cooking helper. For each microwave we test, we calculate a running cost per year based on the energy used reheating a plated meal every day at 30 cents per kWh. 

CHOICE experts have reviewed more than 54 microwave models and find that yearly running costs (when the microwave is just used for reheating) range from $9.48 to $16.72.

A microwave will use less energy than a stovetop for cooking things such as vegetables, as there's no preheating of the cooking zone or pot required

"If you're using your microwave for extra cooking tasks, such as defrosting, cooking eggs, or cooking vegetables, you'll be using different settings and power levels, which will affect the amount of energy the appliance is using," says Fiona. 

"However, a microwave will still use less energy than a stovetop for cooking things such as vegetables, as there's no preheating of the cooking zone or pot required."

To get the most from your microwave, learn about its power levels.

Read more: Microwaves to avoid buying

Induction cooktops are generally one of the most efficient ways to cook, as no heat or energy is wasted around the edges of the pan (only the elements that come in contact with your pan will be heated). This is because induction cooking works via a magnetic field that turns your cookware into the heating element.

When we test cooktops, we also look at yearly running costs, based on using the cooktop for 30 minutes, three times a week for a year using electricity priced at 30c/kWh per year. We find the running costs for models we test range from $32 to $56 a year.

When we calculated the running costs for the ceramic cooktops we've tested, we found the results to be similar to induction cooktops. We base the yearly running costs on using the cooktop for 30 minutes, three times a week for a year using electricity priced at 30c/kWh per year. For the ceramic cooktops we've tested, the costs range from $33 to $53 a year.

We've tested to find you the best.

The slow cooker is a great cost saver in the kitchen for many reasons – not least because it's great for batch cooking and making the most of cheaper cuts of meat. 

But its running costs are on par with, or slightly more than, using an oven, so it won't necessarily be saving you on the energy front. We calculate running costs based on both low-temperature and high-temperature cooking for eight hours a day, three days a week, at 30c/kWh over a year.

Read more: 5 reasons you should buy a slow cooker

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We at CHOICE acknowledge the Gadigal people, the traditional custodians of this land on which we work, and pay our respects to the First Nations people of this country. CHOICE supports the First Nations people's Uluru Statement from the Heart.