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Air fryer sales in the UK are rocketing as consumers desperately seek ways to contain rapidly rising power bills.
Key points:
- With electricity prices forecast to rise by 56 per cent over the next 18 months, many households are looking to save on energy costs
- Experts recommend shading glass to keep out the heat or using bubble wrap as a cheap insulator
- New homes will be built to a seven-star energy-efficiency rating, but one experts believes we should improve the efficiency of existing homes
British media outlets are reporting a 286 per cent increase in sales of air fryers in September compared to the same month last year.
There have also been warnings of people being scammed by fraudulent websites offering discounted versions of the sought-after appliance.
With the Australian government forecasting electricity prices could rise by 56 per cent over the next 18 months and gas prices set to increase by 44 per cent, many households here are also looking at ways to save on energy costs.
"I think the rush [on air fryers] is already on," said sustainability expert and senior industry fellow at RMIT, Alan Pears.
Mr Pears has done a deep dive on air fryers, writing an article on the gadget for a magazine on technology for a sustainable future and comparing their energy use with that of a conventional oven.
"They're running at about half the running cost of a normal electric oven so that's quite a big win," he said.
"It's very lightweight … and also the combination of a radiant heat at the top and very high air speed of hot air means that the food is heated up very quickly and in fact, that tends to mean that it tends to crisp up quite well."
But, if you were cooking a lot of food, a regular oven could be more efficient, he said.
Mr Pears said air fryers were not the only appliance people were buying to save power.
"[People are buying] electric throw rugs that you can kind of wrap around yourself, which use less [power] than a traditional electric light globe," he said.
"I have heard of people with battery-heated ski socks."
Energy consultant Andrew Reddaway said for those working from home, heated foot pads could come in handy, or a heated mouse pad — "something I use myself to keep your mouse hand warm if you're working".
"What we're starting to see is people are basically finding personal heating solutions so that you can run the temperature of your home at a lower temperature and save lots of energy, especially if you've got ducted gas heating … and you can be really cosy," said Mr Pears.
Growing interest in energy efficiency hacks
Tim Forcey set up a Facebook page on energy-efficient electric homes seven years ago, and said it had "really been taking off".
He said 500 people were signing up to the page every week.
"These are people who are often interested in making their homes more comfortable because they are too cold in the wintertime and too hot in the summer."
Mr Forcey said while air fryers might be more efficient, cooking was a minor component of household energy consumption compared with heating, cooling and hot water.
"With summer coming, we do like to help people to be able to keep their houses cool without having to resort to the air conditioners quite as much," he said.
"That can involve things like shading the windows."
Mr Reddaway said having unshaded glass in full sun could be "the equivalent of a small heater running in a room".
"If you're a renter, a really budget option is to get a piece of shade cloth and clip it to the gutters … just dangling down in front of the window," he said.
"You should shade the ground where the windows are as well because often the heat hits the ground and re-radiates into the house," said Mr Pears.
On the flip side, bubble wrap stuck to windows during winter can be used as a cheap form of double glazing.
"The air pockets in the bubble wrap help to insulate the window so you're not going to lose as much heat," said Mr Reddaway.
He also suggested investing in a low-flow shower head: "You might be halving your energy use for hot water.
"The payback times on those types of items would be really quick if you're having a shower every day."
Other forms of power-saving devices can take longer to recoup the costs.
"Solar panels on the roof can make a big difference just as long as you have a sunny roof and you're staying in the house for years."
'Draft proofing is very big'
While there's a national plan for new homes to be built to a seven-star energy-efficiency rating, Mr Pears believes we should be working harder to improve the efficiency of existing homes.
He recently did a study where he looked at upgrading a two-star energy-efficient home to three stars.
"You'll actually save about five times as much for heating and cooling as you would if you took your six-star house up to seven stars," he said.
Achieving improved energy efficiency could be as simple as heading into the roof space to check the insulation is in place, he said.
"Draft proofing is very big.
"Even a very small draft can remove quite a lot of heat or add a lot in summer."
Mr Pears also suggests regularly cleaning air conditioning filters.
Marc White from Goanna Energy Consulting said each appliance had an optimal application.
"Reverse cycle air conditioning is fantastic for heating larger spaces, but if you are needing to heat a small office … for a short period of time, then there's nothing wrong with using a fan heater."
In parts of the country where there is competition between energy retailers, Mr Reddaway suggested trying to negotiate a cheaper deal despite predictions of electricity price rises across the country.
"It's definitely worth contacting your electricity and gas retailers … and just ask them can they put you on a better plan?"
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