Choosing a hob sets efficiency against the price of the fuel. Induction is the most efficient way to cook on a surface, putting almost all its energy into the pan, but electricity costs roughly three and a half times more per unit than gas. So the cheapest hob to run is not as clear-cut as the efficiency figures alone suggest. This guide works through the actual cost of boiling a pan on each type at current prices, and is honest about the fact that running cost is rarely the thing that should decide it.
The short answer. On running cost alone, induction and gas hobs end up broadly comparable for most households. Induction is far more efficient, putting around 85 to 90 per cent of its energy into the pan against roughly 40 to 55 per cent for gas, but electricity is much dearer per unit, so the two effects largely cancel out. The choice usually comes down to speed, safety, cleaning and where your home is heading on fuel, not pence per meal.
Why induction is so efficient
An induction hob heats the pan directly. A coil under the glass creates a magnetic field that induces a current in the base of the pan, so the pan itself becomes the heat source. Very little energy is lost to the surroundings, the hob surface stays relatively cool, and the heat goes where you want it.
Compare that with the alternatives:
- Gas burns a flame that licks around the sides of the pan and loses a good deal of its heat to the air around it. Only roughly 40 to 55 per cent of the gas energy ends up in the food.
- A conventional ceramic or solid electric ring wastes energy heating the element and the glass before the heat reaches the pan, and keeps radiating after you switch off.
- Induction puts around 85 to 90 per cent of its energy into the pan, with little warm-up and little waste.
In pure efficiency, induction is the clear winner and gas the laggard. The mistake is to stop the analysis there, because efficiency is only half the sum.
The price-per-unit twist
Each unit of electricity costs considerably more than each unit of gas. At the current cap, electricity is 26.11p per kWh and gas is 7.33p per kWh, so electricity is about three and a half times the price. That dear fuel partly cancels induction's efficiency advantage.
Work it through. To deliver the same useful heat to a pan, induction needs less raw energy because it wastes less, but each unit it does use costs much more. Gas needs more raw energy because so much escapes round the pan, but each unit is cheap. The two effects pull in opposite directions and roughly meet in the middle. Here is a like-for-like example, the energy and cost to do the same cooking job.
| Hob type | Energy drawn for the job | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Induction (about 88% efficient) | ~0.34 kWh electricity | ~9p |
| Gas (about 45% efficient) | ~0.67 kWh gas | ~5p |
| Ceramic electric (about 70% efficient) | ~0.43 kWh electricity | ~11p |
At 26.11p per kWh electricity and 7.33p per kWh gas, Ofgem cap July to September 2026. Based on delivering roughly 0.3 kWh of useful heat to a pan, a medium cooking task. Efficiencies are typical figures and vary with pan and technique. Worked examples; check your own use.
Gas is the cheapest per pan on these numbers, but the gap is small in cash terms, a few pence a meal, and it shifts as the relative prices of gas and electricity move. Ceramic electric is the worst of both worlds, dear fuel and middling efficiency. For most households the day-to-day cost difference between induction and gas is not large enough to decide the matter on its own.
The things that actually decide it
Since the running cost is close, the choice usually comes down to the practical differences, and these are where induction earns its keep.
- Speed. Induction boils water noticeably faster than gas or ceramic because nearly all the energy goes into the pan. A fast boil also wastes less energy.
- Control. It is responsive, changing heat instantly like gas does, unlike the slow lag of a ceramic ring.
- Cleaning. A flat glass surface with no pan supports wipes clean in seconds, and spills do not bake on because the surface stays cooler.
- Safety. No flame, no gas, and the top stays cool except where the pan sits, which matters with young children.
- Air quality. Gas burning indoors releases combustion products into the kitchen, which induction avoids entirely.
Gas has its own case: many cooks prefer the visible, instantly judged flame, it works in a power cut, and it suits a wok or a charred pepper. But if you are moving away from gas in the home anyway, perhaps towards a heat pump and away from a gas connection altogether, an induction hob fits that direction and lets you drop the gas standing charge if it is your last gas appliance.
The catch: pans and wiring
Induction is not a like-for-like swap in two ways, and it is fair to know before you buy.
First, the pans. Induction only works with ferrous pans, ones a magnet sticks to. Most stainless steel and cast iron pans work, but aluminium, copper and some older stainless will not, so you may need to replace part of your cookware. Test yours with a fridge magnet before assuming.
Second, the wiring. A full induction hob can draw a lot of power and often needs its own dedicated circuit and a suitable cable run, which means an electrician and a bit of cost if you are switching from gas. Factor that into the price of the change. A plug-in single induction ring avoids the wiring issue and is a cheap way to try induction, though it cannot match a built-in hob for power.
What it adds up to over a year
A few pence a meal sounds trivial, and over a year it largely is, which is the honest headline. To put a number on it, take a household cooking on the hob for roughly an hour a day across the week.
| Hob | Rough yearly hob energy cost |
|---|---|
| Gas | ~35 to 55 |
| Induction | ~55 to 80 |
| Ceramic electric | ~70 to 100 |
At 26.11p per kWh electricity and 7.33p per kWh gas, Ofgem cap July to September 2026. Assumes moderate daily hob use; your own cooking habits change this a lot. Worked examples; check your own use.
Gas comes out cheapest, but the gap between gas and induction is in the order of 20 to 30 a year for a typical household, which is real money but not enough to drive the decision on its own. Ceramic electric is the clear loser and worth avoiding if you are choosing a new electric hob. The figures also move with the relative price of gas and electricity, and if that gap narrows in future, induction closes on gas. For the bigger picture of where cooking sits in your bill, compare it against the oven, microwave and air fryer, which often matter more than the hob.
Good habits cut hob energy on any fuel
The fuel matters less than how you cook. These habits save more, day to day, than the choice between induction and gas, and they apply whatever hob you have:
- Match the pan to the ring or zone. A small pan on a big ring wastes heat round the edges. On gas, flames climbing the sides are pure waste.
- Keep lids on. A lid brings water to the boil far faster and holds the heat in, using less energy to get there and stay there.
- Turn it down once it boils. A pan at a rolling boil and a pan at a gentle simmer are the same temperature. Turning the heat down once it boils saves energy with no effect on the cooking.
- Use the right amount of water. Boiling a pan brim-full to cook a couple of eggs heats water you do not need. The same logic as only boiling the kettle water you need.
- Use a lid-on method or a smaller appliance where it suits. A slow cooker or an air fryer can be cheaper than the hob and oven for some meals.
To see what your own hob and pans really draw, a plug-in energy monitor on an induction or ceramic hob, or the running cost calculator, will show you the actual pence per meal.