A best-selling built-in single oven costs 18.16p to 21.58p per standard cycle on its fan setting at the October 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh. We read the energy label for each of the 20 most popular single ovens on AO. At four uses a week the whole range spans £37.77 to £44.89 a year, a gap of £7.12.
Two things matter more than which oven you buy. Every A+ best-seller uses exactly the same 0.69 kWh per fan cycle, whether it costs £199 or £999. And on the same oven, the conventional setting uses 14% to 58% more electricity than fan.
What we found, 9 November 2026
- Fan cycle: 0.69 to 0.82 kWh, or 18.16p to 21.58p. A year at four uses a week: £37.77 to £44.89.
- All 8 A+ best-sellers use 0.69 kWh per fan cycle. Their prices run from £199 (Hotpoint HO 258HZ X) to £999 (NEFF N70 B54CR71G0B).
- Conventional heating uses 14% to 58% more than fan on the same oven.
- Ovens still carry the old A+++ to D scale. Of 241 single ovens on AO, 82 are A, 119 A+ and 40 A++. None is below A.
- 6 of 20 AO listings have a problem with the label figures: a different model code on the label, figures that contradict it, a figure called annual that is per cycle, or none at all.
Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 9 November 2026 · next check 1 January 2027 · how we picked
All 20, cheapest to run first
| Model | AO price | Class | Capacity | Fan kWh per cycle | Conventional kWh per cycle | Per cycle | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEG 3000 BPX535061M | £379 | A+ | 72 L | 0.69 | 0.93 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| AEG 6000 OS6AB50AK | £499 | A+ | 71 L | 0.69 | 1.09 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| Bosch Series 4 HQA534BB3B | £399 | A+ | 71 L | 0.69 | 0.94 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| Bosch Series 4 HQA574BS3B | £449 | A+ | 71 L | 0.69 | 0.94 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| Hotpoint Class 2 HO 258HZ X UK | £199 | A+ | 71 L | 0.69 | 0.89 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| NEFF N30 B1DCC0AK3B | £349 | A+ | 71 L | 0.69 | 0.94 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| NEFF N50 B6ACH7AG7B | £799 | A+ | 71 L | 0.69 | 0.94 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| NEFF N70 B54CR71G0B | £999 | A+ | 71 L | 0.69 | 0.87 | 18.16p | £37.77 |
| Russell Hobbs RHFEO7004SS/02 | £159 | A | 70 L | 0.71 | 0.95 | 18.69p | £38.87 |
| AEG 6000 BSX23101XM | £249 | A | 65 L | 0.78 | 0.89 | 20.53p | £42.70 |
| Beko BBIF22100X | £159 | A | 66 L | 0.79 | 0.00 printed | 20.79p | £43.25 |
| Bosch Series 2 HHF113BR0B | £249 | A | 66 L | 0.79 | not declared | 20.79p | £43.25 |
| Indesit IO 233 B UK | £170 | A | 66 L | 0.79 | 0.00 printed | 20.79p | £43.25 |
| Midea Xpress MBO65M90M1-BK | £149 | A | 70 L | 0.79 | not declared | 20.79p | £43.25 |
| AEG 3000 BCX33501KB | £279 | A | 72 L | 0.81 | 0.93 | 21.32p | £44.34 |
| Beko BBIF22300B | £199 | A | 72 L | 0.81 | 0.00 printed | 21.32p | £44.34 |
| Beko BBRIF22300X | £179 | A | 72 L | 0.81 | 0.00 printed | 21.32p | £44.34 |
| Midea Xpress MBO65M40M04E-SS | £149 | A | 75 L | not declared | 0.81 | 21.32p | £44.34 |
| Hisense Hi2 BI624CBPGUK | £329 | A | 77 L | 0.82 | 0.97 | 21.58p | £44.89 |
| Hisense Hi4 BSA66221ADBGUK | £349 | A | 77 L | 0.82 | 0.97 | 21.58p | £44.89 |
Use the fan setting
Oven labels give two figures: one for conventional heating, from elements at the top and bottom, and one for fan-forced heating. On the 13 best-sellers that declare both, conventional uses 14% to 58% more. The AEG 6000 OS6AB50AK is the extreme: 1.09 kWh per cycle conventional and 0.69 on fan. At four uses a week that is £59.67 a year against £37.77.
Switching setting saves more than switching oven. The gap between the thriftiest and thirstiest best-seller on fan is £7.12 a year; on the AEG, the gap between its own two settings is £21.90.
A+ is A+, at any price
The eight A+ ovens among the best-sellers all declare 0.69 kWh per fan cycle: two Bosch, three NEFF, two AEG and the Hotpoint. The Hotpoint was £199 at AO and the NEFF N70 B54CR71G0B £999. Whatever the extra £800 buys, it is not lower running costs. The A-rated models use 0.71 to 0.82 kWh, so moving from the thirstiest A to an A+ saves about £7 a year at four uses a week.
The label scale ovens were left on
Oven labels still use the A+++ to D scale, set by regulation 65/2014, which is printed at the bottom of each label. Fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and TVs moved to a stricter A to G scale in 2021, which is why the best-selling fridge freezers now show D or E. Ovens did not, so every best-seller here shows A or A+. Among AO's 241 single ovens, none is rated below A.
Labels and listings that mislead
- 0.00 kWh: four labels, three Beko and one Indesit, print 0.00 kWh per cycle for the conventional setting. That reads as free. It means the figure was not declared. Bosch and Midea use a dash instead.
- Hotpoint HO 258HZ X UK: the label on AO's page is for the HO 258H X UK. AO's spec table lists its 0.89 kWh conventional figure as "Annual Energy Consumption" and gives no fan figure.
- Russell Hobbs RHFEO7004SS/02: AO's spec table says 0.79 kWh on fan; the label says 0.71.
- Midea Xpress MBO65M40M04E-SS: AO's spec table gives 0.99 kWh conventional; the label gives 0.81 and declares no fan figure.
- Midea Xpress MBO65M90M1-BK: the image AO shows as the label is a factory print proof with colour swatches and production notes. AO's spec table gives a conventional figure the label does not declare.
- Beko BBRIF22300X and Indesit IO 233 B UK: no energy figure in AO's spec table at all.
We used the label in every case.
What a cycle is
The figure on an oven label is for a standard test cycle, heating a set load to a set temperature, not for an hour of cooking. Use it to compare ovens, not to predict your bill exactly: a long roast or a pizza at full heat will use more, and a quick reheat less.
Which to choose
- For the lowest running cost at the lowest price, the A+ Hotpoint HO 258HZ X UK (£199) declares the same 0.69 kWh as ovens costing up to five times as much. Check the model code on the label matches when you buy.
- Choose on features and price, not the letter: the whole range is £7.12 a year apart.
- Cook on fan where the recipe allows. It saves more than any model choice.
How we worked it out
| Item | What we did |
|---|---|
| Which models | AO's single oven range, sorted by "Most Popular", 60 per page. The first 20 distinct models; colour variants skipped. |
| Energy | Conventional and fan kWh per cycle, class and capacity, read from the energy label image on each AO product page. |
| Electricity rate | 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, direct debit, Great Britain average. Standing charge excluded. |
| Uses a year | 208, four a week. This is our illustration. Scale it to your own cooking. |
| Prices | AO's non-member prices on 9 November 2026. Black Friday prices change daily. |
| Rounding | Pence rounded once, at the end of each sum. |
What this audit could not check
- We have not used or measured any of these ovens. Every figure is from an energy label.
- How a label cycle compares with your own cooking, which varies with what you cook and how long for.
- Whether the Hotpoint HO 258HZ X and HO 258H X share the same figures.
Common questions
How much does an electric oven cost to run in the UK?
For AO's 20 best-selling built-in single ovens, 18.16p to 21.58p per standard label cycle on the fan setting at the October 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh. At four uses a week that is £37.77 to £44.89 a year.
Is fan or conventional cheaper to run?
Fan. On the 13 best-sellers whose labels give both figures, the conventional setting uses 14% to 58% more electricity than fan. The AEG 6000 OS6AB50AK uses 1.09 kWh per cycle conventional and 0.69 on fan.
Is an A+ oven worth paying more for?
Not on running cost alone. Every A+ best-seller uses 0.69 kWh per fan cycle, about £7 a year less than the thirstiest A-rated model at four uses a week. The A+ models range from £199 to £999, all with the same figure.
Why do oven energy labels still say A+?
Ovens still use the older A+++ to D label scale, set by regulation 65/2014, which is printed on each label. Fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and TVs moved to an A to G scale in 2021.
Why does my oven's energy label say 0.00 kWh?
Four best-seller labels print 0.00 kWh per cycle for the conventional setting. That does not mean the setting is free; the figure was simply not declared. Other makers show a dash instead.
Compare more
- The energy label audit: 100 best-selling appliances and what the letter tells you
- Dishwasher running costs UK
- Fridge freezer running costs UK
- UK Running Cost Index
Sources
- Ofgem, changes to the energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026
- AO, single ovens sorted by Most Popular, the 20 product pages in the table and the energy label shown on each
