Ellen Hartwell
Ellen spent six years as a domestic energy assessor in the north west of England, surveying around two thousand homes for EPC ratings and retrofit grants. She now writes Vukla's appliance guides and checks every cost figure against the Ofgem cap before it goes live.
Articles by Ellen
How much does it cost to run a washing machine per load in the UK?
A typical washing machine uses 0.68 kilowatt hours on a 40 degree cotton wash, which is 17.8p at the Ofgem cap rate. An A rated machine costs 13.3p and drying the same load in a tumble dryer costs nearly four times the wash.
KitchenHow much electricity does a fridge freezer use per day in the UK?
A 317 litre frost free fridge freezer uses 0.71 kilowatt hours a day, which is 18.5p at the Ofgem cap rate, or £5.61 a month. An old unit rated at 450 kilowatt hours a year costs 32.2p a day, and the gap is £50 a year.
GardenHow much electricity does a fish tank use per month in the UK?
A 200 litre tropical tank uses about 44 kilowatt hours a month, which is £11.43 at the current price cap. A small 60 litre tank costs under £5, and the heater is responsible for most of both figures.
HeatingHow much does an electric fireplace cost per hour, flame only and with heat?
The flame effect on its own costs about a third of a penny an hour on an LED model. Switch the heater on and the same fire costs 47p an hour, which is 128 times more.