How much does it cost to run a kitchen extractor fan? (2026 price cap)
At the GB-average Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, a kitchen extractor fan rated at 45W costs 1.2p an hour to run and around £2.16 a year assuming 30 minutes of use a day while cooking.
Per hour
1.2p
Per typical use
0.6p
Per day
0.6p
Per week
4.2p
Per year
£2.16
Typical rating and how we worked this out
This page uses a typical rating of 45W for a kitchen extractor fan; published figures for this appliance range from 20W to 100W. Cooker hood extractor fans are rated across a wide range depending on size and speed; most households run one on low or medium for around 30 minutes a day while cooking. The running cost follows the same formula used across this site: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. Typical use is modelled as 30 minutes of use a day while cooking, which is how the per-day, per-week and per-year figures above were calculated — see the cost-to-run calculator to change the wattage, hours or region yourself.
Rate used: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average electricity — 26.32p/kWh (excl. VAT, removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027).
Cost by region
Same appliance, same use — ranked most to least expensive by region under the price cap:
| Region | Elec p/kWh | Cost per hour | Typical annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86 | 1.3p | £2.29 |
| South Eastern England | 26.88 | 1.2p | £2.21 |
| Eastern England | 26.61 | 1.2p | £2.19 |
| London | 26.60 | 1.2p | £2.18 |
| South Western England | 26.58 | 1.2p | £2.18 |
| Southern Wales | 26.55 | 1.2p | £2.18 |
| North Western England | 26.49 | 1.2p | £2.18 |
| Southern England | 26.47 | 1.2p | £2.17 |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35 | 1.2p | £2.16 |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11 | 1.2p | £2.14 |
| West Midlands | 25.60 | 1.2p | £2.10 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60 | 1.2p | £2.10 |
| North Eastern England | 25.46 | 1.1p | £2.09 |
| East Midlands | 25.36 | 1.1p | £2.08 |
| Great Britain average | 26.32 | 1.2p | £2.16 |
East Midlands is cheapest at £2.08 a year; Merseyside and Northern Wales is most expensive at £2.29 a year — a gap of 21p for identical use.
How a kitchen extractor fan compares with similar appliances
Ranked by typical annual cost in kitchen, GB average:
- kitchen extractor fan — £2.16 a year (this page)
- toaster — £9.61 a year
- coffee machine — £19.21 a year
- microwave — £24.02 a year
- slow cooker — £49.27 a year
- bread maker — £54.75 a year
Three practical ways to cut the cost
- Use the lowest speed that clears steam and odours
- Turn it off as soon as cooking finishes rather than leaving it running
- Clean or replace the grease filter — a clogged filter forces the motor to work harder
FAQs
- How much does it cost to run a kitchen extractor fan for an hour?
- 1.2p at the GB-average rate (26.32p/kWh, 45W). One typical use — 30 minutes of use a day while cooking — costs closer to 0.6p.
- How much does a kitchen extractor fan cost to run per year?
- Around £2.16 a year at the GB-average rate, assuming 30 minutes of use a day while cooking — about 4.2p a week.
- Which UK region is cheapest to run a kitchen extractor fan in?
- East Midlands, at £2.08 a year, against £2.29 in Merseyside and Northern Wales — 21p apart for identical use, purely from the regional rate.
- Does the exact wattage of my kitchen extractor fan change the cost much?
- Yes — ratings range 20W–100W, so the top of that range costs about 5.0x the bottom. This page uses 45W; check your own rating plate.
- Does the October 2026 price cap affect this figure?
- Yes — figures use the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Electricity excludes VAT (removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027); gas includes 5%. See the price cap page for the full breakdown.
Sources
- Heatable — how much energy do household appliances use — wattage and usage figures for this appliance.
- Ofgem — Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (regional tables, read 12 September 2026).
Related
- Cost-to-run calculator and full A–Z — check any appliance or enter a custom wattage.
- Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 — every region, every payment method.
- Back-billing calculator — if a bill for this or any appliance looks like it covers too many months.
- Free bill audit — if your overall energy costs look high regardless of any one appliance.
Send us one bill. We'll send back every overcharge — and the cheapest legitimate replacement.
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