Gas vs electric appliances – which are cheapest to run?

Is gas cheaper than electricity?

Gas is considerably cheaper than electricity per unit. From 1 April to 30 June 2025, energy customers in the UK pay a capped rate of £1,849 for their gas and electricity. The actual rate you’ll pay depends on things like your region, how you pay your bill and your meter type, but here’s what you’ll pay on average:

Average unit rates for energy customers in Great Britain on default tariffs (1 April - 30 June 2025):

As it stands, electricity is roughly three times the price of gas per unit. The standing charge, which is the fixed amount you must pay daily for energy, no matter how much you use, is also higher for electricity. However, when it comes to deciding on the best energy source to heat and power your home, there are other factors to consider.

We know the price of energy is a massive concern for many of our customers right now. To help you make the best decision for your household, we look at how gas and electricity stack up when it comes to two important household needs: heating our homes and cooking our meals.

Is gas central heating cheaper than electric?

Gas heat is cheaper than electric in terms of running costs, but gas central heating tends to be more expensive to install. Around three in four households in England and Wales have gas central heating, according to the 2021 census. And they benefited from lower average fuel costs than customers with electric, oil or coal heating.

However, if you’re in need of an upgrade and weighing up whether to install a new gas or electric boiler in your home, it’s worth considering the pros and cons.

Gas vs electric boiler

Gas boilers are more expensive to maintain

Electric boilers don’t require much maintenance once they’re up and running as they don’t involve pipework or a gas flue. Gas boilers, on the other hand, will need to be serviced once a year.

Electric boilers are safer

You can eliminate the risk of a carbon monoxide leak by choosing an electric central heating system.

Electric boilers are more efficient

Electric heating systems are typically 99-100% efficient. Although new gas boilers are considerably more efficient than in the past, and should be at least 90% efficient, that means you could still be wasting up to 7p for every pound you spend.

Electric boilers have a longer life

A new gas boiler should last for around 10-15 years, compared to 15-25 years for an electric boiler.

Your house may not have a gas supply

Although new gas and electric boilers are similarly priced, if you don’t have a gas mains supply, you’ll have to factor in the costs of installing a gas pipe – which will be expensive. Having a gas boiler and radiators installed could cost you over £5,000, compared with under £4,000 to install a new electric heating system.

How to reduce electric boiler running costs

Electric radiators are more expensive to run but there are ways to cut costs.

One way to cut your electricity bills is with an Economy 7 or other off-peak tariff. These give you a cheaper electricity rate at night, and a higher one during the day.

This can be of real benefit if you use electric storage heaters, which store heat overnight – when your tariff’s cheaper – for use the following day. So, it’s always beneficial to keep tabs on how much electricity you’re using, especially if an off-peak tariff could work in your favour.

A more radical step, if you can afford the upfront cost, is to invest in solar panels for your home. These could reduce your electricity bill considerably and potentially even make you money because you can sell the energy you don’t need back to the grid.

Which are cheapest – gas fires, electric heaters or wood burners?

If you’re looking to warm up specific areas or rooms of your home, you can find low-cost electric heaters that don’t require any installation. All you need is somewhere to plug them in. Electric fireplaces also tend to be cheaper to buy and install than their gas counterparts. Gas fires can be pricey to fit, and wood burners even more so.

Electric fires are also more efficient, converting 100% of the energy used into heat. But your electric heater or fireplace will cost more than the gas fire to run. Electric fireplaces also do not produce as much as heat.

Wood-burning stoves

There may be a certain charm associated with a wood-burning stoves, but they typically only offer up to 80% efficiency. And though it may be cheaper to run a wood-burning stove than alternatives, there’s also the issue of pollution to consider.

In the UK, wood-burning stoves are responsible for producing a greater proportion of small particulate air pollution than all road traffic, and this can have a serious impact on your family’s and neighbours’ health. There are some restrictions around wood burner use, especially in urban areas, that need to be complied with too.

Electric or gas ovens – which are cheapest to run?

Although electric ovens are typically cheaper to install, they’re likely to cost you twice as much to run because of the higher costs of electricity. That’s true even when factoring in that electric ovens are more efficient than gas ovens.

People tend to have a clear preference for cooking with gas or electric depending on what they’re used to. On the one hand, many people prefer cooking with gas because they can change the temperature instantly and precisely.

On the other hand, electric ovens may provide a more even heat distribution once they’re warmed up. Electric ovens also tend to be safer, and easier to clean and maintain.

Given the potentially high costs of switching either way, it’s likely you’ll want to stick with the oven you’ve got until that’s not an option anymore.

Top tips for cheaper energy bills

Whether you use gas, electric or both, there are a number of ways you can cut down on your energy use and lower your energy bills:

• Washing clothes at 30 degrees max and doing one less wash per week could help you save £24 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

• Turn off appliances instead of leaving them on standby. This could save you up to £45 a year.

• Four-minute showers for the family could save the typical household £60 per year. You can also fit an energy-efficient shower head to increase your savings.

• Using your oven more efficiently can save you money, including using the fan-assisted setting and keeping the oven door closed during cooking. Batch-cooking and freezing dishes for later can also save time and money.

• Turn down your thermostat. Just one degree lower could potentially save you money.

• Use a smart thermostat to control your heating.

• Turn off lights in rooms you’re not using. This could save you up to £7 a year, according to the Energy Savings Trust.

• Draught-proof your home. Installing insulation and draught-proofing can help you reduce heat loss from your home, increasing your energy efficiency and saving up to £80 on your heating bills.

• Understand your energy bill so you can see what you’re spending. Your bill also contains important information you’ll need if you want to switch to a cheaper tariff.

Can a smart meter help me save on my gas and electricity bills?

Using a smart meter can help you monitor your energy usage. If you do this carefully, it could help you reduce your energy consumption, which means cheaper energy bills.

Smart meters are available for both gas and electricity. The meter sends information to an in-home display to show you exactly how much energy you are using.

It will also automatically send meter readings to your supplier – so you’ll get an accurate bill, not an estimated one.

Having a smart meter also gives you the option to use tariffs where you are charged less for using off-peak energy. For example, some will allow you to charge an electric car when energy is cheapest.