How much does an induction hob cost to run per hour in the UK?
An induction hob costs about 47p an hour with an 18 cm ring at full power, because Bosch rates that zone at 1.8 kilowatts and the Ofgem cap rate is 26.32p per kWh. The small 14.5 cm ring costs 37p an hour and the large 21 cm ring 58p, and a plug in hob is limited to 3.7 kilowatts in total, so nothing you do on it can cost more than 97p an hour.
What an induction hob draws
An induction hob draws its full rating only while a zone is set to maximum, and each ring has its own figure. Bosch's Series 4 PUE611BB5B, a typical 60 cm plug in model, lists a 14.5 cm ring at 1.4 kilowatts, two 18 cm rings at 1.8 kilowatts and a 21 cm ring at 2.2 kilowatts. Each one also has a PowerBoost setting for bringing water to the boil quickly, which takes the small ring to 2.2 kilowatts, the 18 cm rings to 3.1 and the large ring to 3.7.
At the Ofgem cap rate of 26.32p per kilowatt hour, an 18 cm ring running flat out costs 47p an hour, the small ring 37p and the large ring 58p. Turn the setting down to simmer and the hob draws a fraction of that, because induction controls the heat by cutting the power going into the coil.
Work it out for your own induction hob
Type in the wattage from the plate on the back, then your own unit rate. The numbers update as you type.
The calculator starts at an 18 cm ring for half an hour at full power, which is generous for a weeknight meal. Most of that half hour is usually spent simmering, so a realistic figure for your own cooking is often half the result or less.
The 3.7 kW ceiling on a plug in hob
A hob that plugs into an ordinary socket cannot draw more than a 13 amp plug will carry, and Bosch says plainly on the specification sheet that the plug limits the maximum power output to 3.7 kilowatts. Put all four rings on high at once and the hob shares that 3.7 kilowatts between them instead of adding them up. The most a plug in induction hob can ever cost is therefore 97p an hour, whatever you are cooking. A hard wired hob on its own cooker circuit is not limited in the same way, and a full Sunday lunch on one can draw more.
What each ring costs per hour and per meal
| Zone and setting | Power | Per hour | Half an hour | Per month, half an hour a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.5 cm ring, full power | 1.4 kW | 36.8p | 18.4p | £5.60 |
| 18 cm ring, full power | 1.8 kW | 47.4p | 23.7p | £7.21 |
| 21 cm ring, full power | 2.2 kW | 57.9p | 29.0p | £8.81 |
| 18 cm ring on PowerBoost | 3.1 kW | 81.6p | 40.8p | not used for long |
| Whole plug in hob at its limit | 3.7 kW | 97.4p | 48.7p | not used for long |
Boost looks expensive by the hour, but nobody leaves it on for an hour. It puts the same heat into a pan of water faster, so a pan that needs about 7.7 minutes to boil on a normal 18 cm setting gets there in about 4.5 minutes on boost for roughly the same total energy.
| Appliance | Typical draw | Usage we assume | Per hour (UK) | Per usage (UK) | Per month (UK) | Per hour (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Induction hob | 1800 W | per 30 minutes, one 18 cm zone at full power | 47.4p | 23.7p | £7.19 | 33.0 cents |
Rates: Ofgem cap 1 October to 31 December 2026 at 26.32p per kWh (source), EIA residential average June 2026 at 18.34 cents per kWh (source). Checked 2026-09-22.
Induction against a ceramic hob
The difference between the two comes down to where the heat is made. ENERGY STAR puts induction at about 85 per cent efficient at getting energy into the pan, because the magnetic field warms the base of the pan directly, and a conventional resistance element at 75 to 80 per cent, because a ceramic ring has to heat itself and the glass first. That means every unit of heat that reaches your food costs about 31.0p on induction and about 34.0p on ceramic, so induction is roughly a tenth cheaper for the same cooking.
The ratings tell the same story. Bosch's PKE611CA3E ceramic hob has rings of 1.2, 2.0 and 2.2 kilowatts, so its 18 cm ring at 2.0 kilowatts costs 53p an hour against 47p for the induction ring of the same size. Over a year the gap is small, a few pounds for most households, which makes running cost a weak reason on its own to replace a ceramic hob that still works.
Induction against gas
On the unit price, gas wins. Gas costs 7.97p a kilowatt hour on the current cap and electricity 26.32p, more than three times as much. ENERGY STAR puts a gas hob at only about 32 per cent efficient, because most of the flame's heat goes up the sides of the pan and into the kitchen, but even after that loss a unit of heat in the pan costs about 24.9p from gas against 31.0p from induction.
Bringing two litres of water from the tap to the boil shows it in practice. The water needs about 0.2 kilowatt hours of heat, which takes 0.23 kilowatt hours of electricity on induction at a cost of 6.1p, or 0.62 kilowatt hours of gas at a cost of 4.9p.
The standing charge changes the sum for some homes. Gas carries a daily standing charge of 29.68p, which comes to £108 a year. If the hob is the only gas appliance in the house, switching to induction and closing the gas account removes that charge and makes induction clearly the cheaper choice. With gas central heating you pay the standing charge regardless, so a gas hob stays a little cheaper per meal.
Making each meal cheaper
- Boil water in the kettle and pour it into the pan. A kettle element sits in the water and loses less heat than any hob, so two litres costs about 5.2p that way against 6.1p on the ring.
- Put a lid on the pan. Water comes to the boil sooner with a lid, and a simmer holds on a lower setting.
- Turn down as soon as the pan boils. Holding a rolling boil on full power burns money without cooking potatoes, rice or vegetables any faster than a steady simmer.
- Match the pan to the ring on a ceramic hob, where any bare part of the element heats the air. Induction only heats the metal sitting on it, so it is more forgiving.
- Reheat single portions in the microwave, which runs for minutes rather than the time a pan takes to warm through.
Is an induction hob worth it on running cost
An induction hob costs about 47p an hour on an 18 cm ring at full power and much less once the pan is simmering. It is the cheapest electric hob to run, roughly a tenth cheaper than ceramic, and in a home without gas it is the obvious choice. In a home that keeps gas for heating, a gas hob stays a little cheaper per meal, and the reasons to choose induction are speed, a surface that ENERGY STAR notes stays cooler to the touch, and easy cleaning.
Common questions
Are induction hobs expensive to run?
No more than any other electric hob, and slightly less. An 18 cm ring at full power costs 47p an hour at the current cap, and most cooking runs well below full power once the pan is hot. Bringing two litres of pasta water to the boil costs about 6.1p.
Is an induction hob cheaper to run than gas?
Not on the unit price alone. Gas costs 7.97p a kilowatt hour against 26.32p for electricity, and even though a gas flame only gets about 32 per cent of its heat into the pan against 85 per cent for induction, a unit of heat in the pan still costs about 25p from gas and 31p from induction. Induction only wins on cost if dropping gas altogether saves you the £108 a year gas standing charge.
Is induction cheaper to run than a ceramic hob?
Yes, by about a tenth. Induction heats the pan itself and gets about 85 per cent of the electricity into the food, while a radiant ceramic ring manages about 75 to 80 per cent, so the same cooking costs roughly 31.0p for every unit of heat in the pan on induction against 34.0p on ceramic.
Is it cheaper to boil water in a kettle or on an induction hob?
The kettle, by a small margin. Two litres from cold costs about 5.2p in a kettle, whose element sits in the water, and about 6.1p in a pan on an induction ring. Boiling the kettle and pouring it into the pan is the cheapest way to start pasta or vegetables.