When it comes to powering a kitchen, the oven is one of the biggest energy consumers. Ovens can be a significant drain on your power bill, and understanding how they use electricity can help you make more informed decisions about your kitchen’s energy usage.

In New Zealand, ovens typically use between 1 and 2 kilowatts of electricity each hour that they’re in operation. This means that if you have an average size oven running for an hour, it will consume around 1.5 kilowatts of electricity. On top of this, most modern ovens have additional features such as convection heating which can use up to an additional 2 kilowatts of power per hour. This means that depending on how often you’re using your oven, and what type of cooking you’re doing with it, the total power consumption could be anywhere from 3 to 4 kilowatts per hour.

When it comes to cost, the amount of money you pay for this extra electricity depends on how much power your provider charges per kilowatt hour (kWh). According to a recent survey by Finder NZ, most providers in New Zealand charge between 25 and 30 cents per kWh. So if you’re using an average size oven for an hour with all the extra features switched on then that would cost approximately 90-120 cents per hour – which is around $9-12 over 10 hours!

However there are some ways that you can reduce these costs and reduce your overall energy consumption when using an oven:

  • Make sure your oven door is well sealed so no heat escapes when cooking – this will help keep energy costs down as less heat will need to be replaced;
  • Try not to open the door too often while cooking – opening the door causes a loss of heat which increases energy consumption;
  • Try grilling or baking food instead of roasting where possible – this uses less energy;
  • Use smaller appliances like slow cookers or microwaves where possible – these use far less energy than traditional ovens;
  • Make sure that any other electrical appliances such as stoves or dishwashers are switched off while using the oven so they don’t draw unnecessary power from the same source;
  • Consider investing in a more efficient model if yours is old or outdated as newer models tend to be more economical when it comes to energy consumption;

By following these tips you can reduce your overall energy consumption and save money on your monthly power bill!