How many watts does an electric oven use?

By Tom Calder · Figures checked 4 November 2026 · Costs at 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026)

In short

A built-in single electric oven is rated at about 3,000W (Bosch: 2,990W), but its elements cycle once it is hot. A cook uses about 0.81 to 1.16 kWh, roughly 21p to 30p at 26.32p per kWh.

A kettle coming to the boil beside a microwave and slow cooker in a warmly lit kitchen on a rainy evening

The numbers

Running watts: 2,990W; Bosch HBS534BS0B and HBS573BS0B: connection rating 2,990W.
Amps at 230V (most): 13A
Energy per cook: 0.81 to 1.16 kWh; Low: Bosch energy label, fan mode, 0.81 kWh per standard cycle. High: Which?’s 76-minute roast chicken, 1.157 kWh.
Cost per cook: 21p to 30p
Cost per hour at full power: 79p
On a 1kWh power station: Wired in by an electrician, so it can’t be plugged into a power station
On a 2kWh power station: Wired in by an electrician, so it can’t be plugged into a power station

Costs use 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap's average Direct Debit electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own rate is on your bill; on a fixed or time-of-use tariff it will differ.

How it’s used, and what that costs

Bosch’s HBS534BS0B and HBS573BS0B are both rated at 2,990W and labelled at 0.81 kWh per standard cycle on fan, and 0.97 to 0.99 kWh on conventional heat. Which? measured a Bosch Serie 2 built-in oven at 0.863 kWh for 33 minutes of chips, 1.084 kWh for a 68-minute jacket potato and 1.157 kWh for a 76-minute roast chicken, including preheating.

Fan mode used less than conventional on Bosch’s labels, and cooking several things at once makes better use of the heat.

The honest bit

Bosch lists both ovens with “no plug (electrical connection by electrician)”: a built-in oven is on fixed wiring, so it can’t be run from a portable power station in a cut. For a small meal, a microwave, air fryer or slow cooker uses far less.

In a power cut: how long a power station would run it

Wired in by an electrician, so it can’t be plugged into a power station.

To size one for everything you’d want to keep running, use the sizer on our power stations comparison.

Common questions

Is an air fryer cheaper than an oven?

For the same small meal, usually. Which? measured roast chicken at 0.54 kWh in an air fryer against 1.157 kWh in a built-in oven, and chips at 0.287 against 0.863 kWh.

How many amps does an electric oven draw?

At the UK’s 230 volts, amps are watts divided by 230. At 2,990W, that is 13 amps while it runs at full power. Bosch supplies both without a plug, for connection by an electrician, with 13A fuse protection, so it can’t be plugged into a power station.

Cooking without power →Power stations compared, with a sizer →Home backup power sizer →Running a fridge-freezer on a power station →How to lower your electricity bill →Electric heater safety and running costs →Every appliance’s running cost →

Compare: Air fryer · Slow cooker · Induction hob

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