Have you ever looked inside a toaster and seen those glowing-hot wires? You can be forgiven for thinking that must take a phenomenal amount of electricity, but the truth is it’s costing you mere cents. In this article, Canstar Blue takes a closer look at how much your morning toast might be adding to your energy expenses.
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How much does it cost to use the toaster?
Cooking with a two-slice toaster will cost between 0.41c and 0.55c per minute, while using a four-slice toaster will cost 0.77c to 1.10c per minute, according to Canstar Blue data.
Most two-slice toasters have a power of 850W, but ‘high-power’ toasters and toasters with wide slots can consume up to 300W more energy. On the other hand, four-slice toasters consume considerably more electricity, usually ranging between 1400W and 2300W.
How much it costs you to make a piece of toast depends on your toasters wattage, as well as how long you cook your toast to get that desired crunchiness. It will also depend on the price you pay for your electricity. In the below tables, we’ve calculated the cost of using a two-slice and four-slice toaster over various time periods.
Cost of using a two-slice toaster by time and wattage
| 750W | 900W | 1000W | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 secs | 0.21c | 0.25c | 0.28c |
| 1 min | 0.41c | 0.50c | 0.55c |
| 2 min | 0.83c | 0.99c | 1.10c |
| 3 min | 1.24c | 1.49c | 1.65c |
| 4 min | 1.65c | 1.98c | 2.20c |
| 5 min | 2.06c | 2.48c | 2.75c |
Source: www.canstarblue.com.au – 05/10/2023. Average electricity usage rate of 33c/kWh, based on single rate, non-solar only plans on Canstar’s database, available for an annual usage of 4,347kWh.
Cost of using a four-slice toaster by time and wattage
| 1400W | 1700W | 2000W | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 secs | 0.39c | 0.47c | 0.55c |
| 1 min | 0.77c | 0.94c | 1.10c |
| 2 min | 1.54c | 1.87c | 2.20c |
| 3 min | 2.31c | 2.81c | 3.30c |
| 4 min | 3.08c | 3.74c | 4.40c |
| 5 min | 3.85c | 4.68c | 5.50c |
Source: www.canstarblue.com.au – 05/10/2023. Average electricity usage rate of 33c/kWh, based on single rate, non-solar only plans on Canstar’s database, available for an annual usage of 4,347kWh.
Bear in mind that a toaster with higher wattage will cook faster and more evenly than a similar model with fewer watts. That means while low watt toasters consume less electricity at any one moment, it will take longer to toast, cancelling out any potential savings.
Also consider that if your toaster is used by two, three or even four people each day, the above costs may be significantly increased.
Is my toaster driving up my power bill?
It’s unlikely that, of all appliances in the home, toasters would be responsible for adding a significant portion to anyone’s power bill. Even if a household was using a higher wattage model for five minutes every day, the most it would add to energy bills is about $20 a year, according to Canstar Blue data.
To help you gauge how much your toaster could be adding to your power bill each year, we’ve done the calculations below, based on watts and time used per day.
Annual cost of using a two-slice toaster by time and wattage
| 750W | 900W | 1000W | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 min/day | $1.51 | $1.81 | $2.01 |
| 2 min/day | $3.01 | $3.61 | $4.02 |
| 3 min/day | $4.52 | $5.42 | $6.02 |
| 4 min/day | $6.02 | $7.23 | $8.03 |
| 5 min/day | $7.53 | $9.03 | $10.04 |
Source: www.canstarblue.com.au – 05/10/2023. Average electricity usage rate of 33c/kWh, based on single rate, non-solar only plans on Canstar’s database, available for an annual usage of 4,347kWh. Annual cost assumes a 365 day year.
Annual cost of using a four-slice toaster by time and wattage
| 1400W | 1700W | 2000W | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 min/day | $2.81 | $3.41 | $4.02 |
| 2 min/day | $5.62 | $6.83 | $8.03 |
| 3 min/day | $8.43 | $10.24 | $12.05 |
| 4 min/day | $11.24 | $13.65 | $16.06 |
| 5 min/day | $14.05 | $17.06 | $20.08 |
Source: www.canstarblue.com.au – 05/10/2023. Average electricity usage rate of 33c/kWh, based on single rate, non-solar only plans on Canstar’s database, available for an annual usage of 4,347kWh. Annual cost assumes a 365 day year.
As shown above, using a two-slice toaster is only likely to add between $1.51 and $10.04 to your yearly power bills, depending on the watts used, time used and the electricity rate you are paying. As for four-slice toasters, these costs are more like $2.81 to as much as $20.08 each year. In comparison to some of the more expensive appliances in the home, such as dryers, or heating and cooling systems, the humble toaster barely even scratches the surface when it comes to household energy costs.
Worried you are paying too much for power? See if you are missing out on a better deal with one of these cheap plans
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Ausgrid network in Sydney but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 3911kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
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How do I change the settings on my toaster?
If you are looking to change the cooking time on your toaster, you can do this my turning the knob at the base of the appliance. The dial settings are usually represented by numbers ranging from one to six, with the higher numbers corresponding to longer cooking times. Depending on the model of toaster you have, these numbers will mean different things. The cooking times of certain settings may also differ from model to model – this why toaster settings can be tricky to perfect on a new appliance. Unfortunately, this also means that if you are unsure which setting may be best for you, it’ll likely be a game of trial and error until you find it.
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