How much does an air fryer cost to run?
At the current average residential rate of 18.34¢ per kWh, a typical 1,500 W air fryer costs about 9¢ per use — around $1.57 a month and $18.88 a year at 4 uses a week.
The rate and formula behind these numbers
kWh per use = watts × hours ÷ 1,000, and cost = kWh × rate. The yearly figure assumes the same weekly pattern all year (× 52); the monthly figure is the yearly one ÷ 12.
Electricity rate: 18.34¢ per kWh — the US EIA Electric Power Monthly for June 2026, the latest month EIA has published (US average across all states). Source: US EIA Electric Power Monthly. Checked September 2, 2026. It excludes the fixed monthly customer charge, which you pay regardless of use.
An air fryer is a small convection oven, and small is the entire trick: there is far less air to heat and almost no preheat, so a weeknight dinner costs pennies while the wall oven would still be warming up. Its edge is sharpest on short cooks. Over a long roast the gap narrows, because the big oven cycles its element once it reaches temperature and stops drawing full power.