This kitchen appliance consumes as much electricity as 62 fridges running at the same time.

People tend to picture an old fridge-freezer or a tumble dryer when they think of electricity guzzlers. In reality, the biggest energy thief is often hiding in plain sight: the oven. Fresh calculations suggest that, under certain conditions, a modern electric oven can briefly draw as much power as up to 62 refrigerators at once.

The electric oven: the kitchen’s hidden power champion

Most modern homes are packed with appliances: bean-to-cup coffee machines, kettles, microwaves and dishwashers. Many stay plugged in all the time. Even so, not every device affects your bill in the same way. One stands out clearly: the electric oven.

An oven doesn’t just need to be warm - it has to get properly hot. For pizza, pasta bakes or bread, 180–220 °C is typical, and grill functions or dedicated pizza settings often run hotter still. Holding those temperatures reliably demands sustained high power.

An electric oven typically draws 2,000–3,000 watts while running - far more than a TV, a laptop, or many washing machine cycles.

By contrast, a modern television often sits around 80–150 watts, and a laptop roughly 50–100 watts. Even a washing machine rarely reaches oven-level draw during a standard wash programme - and it usually runs at that level for a shorter period.

Power vs consumption: the difference that causes confusion

Two terms are often mixed up:

• Power (watts, W): how strongly an appliance draws electricity at a given moment.
• Consumption (kilowatt-hours, kWh): how much energy is used over time - this is what households pay for on the bill.

A high-power appliance used briefly can consume less overall than a low-power appliance that runs continuously. That’s exactly why ovens can look “worse” in headline comparisons, even though fridges run 24/7.

Why an oven can briefly outperform 62 refrigerators

At first glance, comparing an oven to refrigerators sounds ridiculous. A refrigerator runs all day, whereas an oven might only be on for a lasagne. The key is instantaneous power - the amount of electricity an appliance pulls right now.

A refrigerator uses a cooling circuit inside a well-insulated cabinet. It cycles on and off: the compressor runs, cools, then stops and rests. Across many current models, the average power draw often lands around 80–150 watts, depending on the model and efficiency rating.

An oven works very differently. At the start, a lot of energy must be pushed into the metal walls and the air inside the cavity in a short time. That preheating period is the real “stress test” for electricity demand.

At peak, an oven can draw as much power during preheating as several dozen refrigerators - in extreme calculations, that’s equivalent to up to 62 units operating at the same time.

This does not mean your oven will use the same monthly energy as 62 fridges. It simply highlights how high the short-lived maximum power draw can be - and how much saving potential is sitting in everyday cooking habits.

If you bake often, you will feel it in your bill

Your oven’s monthly consumption depends heavily on lifestyle. If you only use it at weekends for a casserole, the impact is smaller. If you bake several times a week, re-crisp pizza, or cook something in the oven daily, your electricity costs rise noticeably.

A rough illustration using typical values:

Appliance	Power	Usage time (example)	Consumption per use
Electric oven	2,500 W	1 hour	2.5 kWh
Refrigerator	120 W (average)	24 hours	approx. 1–1.5 kWh

So a single evening oven session can use more electricity than an entire day of fridge operation. Do that three or four times a week and it adds up quickly.

How to cut oven consumption significantly (without giving up your favourites)

The good news: nobody has to abandon lasagne, a Sunday roast or crusty rolls. A handful of simple habit changes can rein in the oven’s appetite for electricity.

Four easy day-to-day adjustments for your electric oven (power and consumption)

• Skip preheating more often: many dishes work perfectly well when the tray goes into a cold oven. Heating “with contents” saves valuable minutes at maximum power.
• Use a fan oven rather than conventional heat: a fan oven distributes heat more efficiently, so you can often reduce the temperature by around 20 °C and cook multiple trays at once.
• Keep the door shut: every time you open it, heat escapes. The oven then has to work harder to recover temperature, pulling more power again.
• Use residual heat intelligently: switch off 5–10 minutes before the end. The stored heat is often enough to finish cooking.

Applied consistently, these changes can noticeably reduce oven use without any real loss of convenience.

Extra savings many households overlook (maintenance and planning)

Two practical factors are often ignored, yet they matter:

A worn door seal or a door that doesn’t close cleanly forces the oven to run hotter for longer to maintain temperature. If you feel heat pouring out around the edges, check the gasket and hinges; replacing a seal is usually straightforward and can prevent ongoing waste.

Also, plan your cooking so the oven’s heat is used efficiently: roast vegetables or bake tomorrow’s lunch while the oven is already hot, rather than running a separate cycle later. Batch cooking makes the most of each preheat and can cut weekly consumption.

When other appliances are the better choice

The oven isn’t always the most sensible tool for small portions. For single servings, there are often lower-consumption alternatives.

Practical options:

• Microwave: ideal for reheating already-cooked food; short run times and typically much lower energy use.
• Air fryer: smaller cooking chamber, faster heat-up, often lower consumption for portions for one or two people.
• Hob or induction hob: not suitable for everything you’d bake, but often more efficient than running the oven for many pan and pot meals.

For one slice of frozen pizza or a couple of rolls, heating the whole oven cavity rarely makes sense. Compact appliances can save both electricity and time.

Why so many people underestimate the oven as an electricity guzzler

Psychologically, a fridge feels more threatening because it runs all day. It hums, lights up and constantly reminds you it exists. The oven, on the other hand, seems harmless: you switch it on, then off again.

Because the oven is used for a short but very intense period, many people misjudge the true scale of its cost.

There’s also an emotional factor. People associate oven cooking with comfort, family time and winding down - not with the electricity meter. That’s exactly why the high wattage is easy to overlook.

What higher electricity prices mean for oven users

As electricity prices rise, every kilowatt-hour costs more. A one-hour oven session can cost roughly £0.60 to well over £1, depending on your tariff (for example, around 25–40 p per kWh). Cook oven meals several evenings a week and you can quickly end up in the double-digit pounds per month range for this single appliance.

If you know your habits and adjust a few levers, you can reduce that share noticeably. Households on tighter budgets - and families cooking lots of hot meals each week - benefit particularly from a more deliberate approach.

A clearer view of the “62 refrigerators” figure - and how to check your own numbers

Claims about “62 refrigerators” can sound sensational because they compare the oven’s maximum peak power with the refrigerators’ average power. That’s useful for awareness, but it doesn’t replace a proper annual consumption calculation.

If you want to judge your own appliances, check the energy label or the manual. You’ll usually find the oven’s rated connection power there. Combine that figure with how long you typically use it each week and you can estimate costs with a basic calculator (or a simple rule-of-three approach) using your tariff.

Taken together, the comparison makes one point very clear: the electric oven is among the strongest electricity users in the home. Use it strategically and you can save meaningful amounts - without giving up the dishes you love.