How many watts does a kettle 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

UK kettles draw 2,200W to 3,000W, among the highest draws of anything with a plug. Because they boil for only a couple of minutes, boiling a litre uses about 0.09 to 0.11 kWh, roughly 2p to 3p at 26.32p per kWh. Boiling only the water you need is the saving.

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: 2,200W to 3,000W
Amps at 230V (most): 12A; From the 240V rating: at 230V the same appliance draws a little less.
Energy per litre boiled: 0.09 to 0.11 kWh; Physics: heating 1 litre from 20°C to 100°C takes 0.093 kWh, plus some loss to the kettle and air.
Cost per litre boiled: 2p to 3p
Cost per hour at full power: 58p to 79p
On a 1kWh power station: Too much for the units around 1kWh we list (1,500W to 2,000W output)
On a 2kWh power station: 14 to 17 litres boiled (only 1 of the 6 units around 2kWh we list can supply 3,000W)

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

Morphy Richards’ Essentials 980560 is a 2,200W kettle and Russell Hobbs’ Buckingham 20460 is 3kW. A higher wattage boils faster but uses about the same energy per litre, because the energy goes into heating the water. That is set by physics: a litre of water from 20°C to boiling needs about 0.093 kWh, and a little more is lost warming the kettle itself.

So the cost is in how much water you boil, not the kettle’s rating. The Energy Saving Trust counts not overfilling the kettle among its everyday savings (see how to lower your electricity bill).

The honest bit

A 13A plug carries about 3kW at UK voltage, which is why kettles top out at 3kW. That is more than most portable power stations can supply.

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

A 1kWh power station: too much for the units around 1kWh we list (1,500W to 2,000W output). A 2kWh power station: 14 to 17 litres boiled (only 1 of the 6 units around 2kWh we list can supply 3,000W). These use the same planning method as our power station pages: capacity × 90% usable depth × 85% inverter efficiency, divided by the load plus about 10W the unit uses itself (BLUETTI’s UK formula). Counts of uses leave out the unit’s own draw, so treat them as a little generous.

Output matters as much as capacity. The 7 units around 1kWh we list supply 1,500W to 2,000W continuously, and the 6 around 2kWh supply 2,200W to 3,000W, so check a unit’s rated output covers 3,000W before you rely on it.

Among the power stations we list, only the larger units rated at 3,000W can run a 3kW kettle at full power, with nothing else on. BLUETTI’s Power Lifting and EcoFlow’s X-Boost let smaller units run a heating appliance rated above their output, but the output stays at the unit’s rating, so the kettle boils more slowly. Filling a vacuum flask before a forecast cut avoids the question.

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

Common questions

How many amps does a kettle draw?

Amps are watts divided by volts. Kettle ratings are given at 240V; at the UK’s nominal 230 volts the same appliance draws a little less power, about 8.8 to 12 amps at full power. A 13A plug is the limit, which is why kettles top out at 3kW.

Vacuum flasks for a power cut →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: Microwave · Induction hob

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