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Running a takeaway business can be a high-energy affair - literally. Whether it's sizzling woks, deep fryers or constant refrigeration, the energy demands of a busy takeaway can significantly impact your bottom line.
Our updated study shows that the UK's favourite takeaway treats come at a big cost to businesses, with the average takeaway shop using around 70,000 kWh of electricity a year just to power its cooking appliances - ranging from roughly 40,000 kWh for a sandwich shop to over 90,000 kWh for an Indian takeaway.
So, which takeaway foods cost the most to cook, and how are current business energy prices impacting the UK's favourite takeaway treats?
In this blog, we explore how much it costs takeaway shops to run the kitchen appliances behind popular dishes, and how energy price changes affect the UK's favourite takeaway restaurants.
How Much Do Takeaway Shops Spend on Energy Each Year for Cooking Appliances?
Takeaway shops spend £18,461.57 a year on electricity on average just for cooking appliances, research from BusinessComparison reveals - up around £1,550 on our previous estimate.
That rise reflects higher business electricity prices in 2026. Wholesale gas prices spiked in March 2026 and remain above late-2025 levels, while network charges (TNUoS) rose by more than 60% from April 2026, pushing up the price businesses pay per unit.
Our study analysed the most common appliances used by takeaway restaurants, how much energy these appliances use, and current business energy prices to assess the real cost of cooking takeaway food for small businesses.
Which Takeaway Shops Use the Most Energy?
Indian takeaways top the chart, with an average yearly energy cost of £23,768.64. Their frequent use of tandoori ovens, fryers, rice cookers and hot holding units drives these costs sky-high.
Kebab shops follow closely, spending over £22,300 a year - likely due to the continuous operation of vertical rotisseries, grills and refrigeration.
Chinese takeaways also rack up significant bills at £22,259 annually, thanks to high-powered wok burners, deep fryers and steamers.
In the mid-range, burger joints, Mexican takeaways, fish and chip shops and fried chicken shops each spend between £17,000 and £21,000 a year. These businesses commonly rely on fryers, griddles and warming displays, which contribute to steady but slightly lower energy usage.
At the lower end, bakeries and coffee shops, pizza shops and sandwich shops incur more modest energy bills. For instance, a sandwich shop spends about £10,470 per year, thanks to lighter equipment like blenders, under-counter fridges and toasters.
Takeaway type | Per hour | Per day | Per week | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £8.25 | £66.02 | £288.86 | £1,980.72 | £23,768.64 |
| £7.77 | £62.18 | £272.04 | £1,865.44 | £22,385.28 |
| £7.73 | £61.83 | £270.51 | £1,854.96 | £22,259.52 |
| £7.24 | £57.90 | £253.32 | £1,737.06 | £20,844.72 |
| £7.23 | £57.81 | £252.94 | £1,734.44 | £20,813.28 |
| £6.38 | £51.00 | £223.14 | £1,530.08 | £18,360.96 |
| £6.03 | £48.21 | £210.91 | £1,446.24 | £17,354.88 |
| £5.02 | £40.17 | £175.76 | £1,205.20 | £14,462.40 |
| £4.83 | £38.60 | £168.88 | £1,158.04 | £13,896.48 |
| £3.64 | £29.08 | £127.23 | £872.46 | £10,469.52 |
What Are the Most Expensive Appliances to Run?
Kebab machines are the most expensive cooking appliance for takeaway shops to run, costing £7,847.42 a year on average.
When it comes to managing energy costs in a takeaway kitchen, not all appliances are created equal. Our study found that some energy-hungry appliances are eating up takeaway shops' budgets.
The table below shows the ten most expensive appliances to run based on annual energy costs.
Appliance | Avg. power (kW) | Per hour | Per day | Per week | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.4 | £2.72 | £21.80 | £95.37 | £653.95 | £7,847.42 |
| 8 | £2.10 | £16.77 | £73.36 | £503.04 | £6,036.48 |
| 7 | £1.83 | £14.67 | £64.19 | £440.16 | £5,281.92 |
| 6 | £1.57 | £12.58 | £55.02 | £377.28 | £4,527.36 |
| 6 | £1.57 | £12.58 | £55.02 | £377.28 | £4,527.36 |
| 5 | £1.31 | £10.48 | £45.85 | £314.40 | £3,772.80 |
| 5 | £1.31 | £10.48 | £45.85 | £314.40 | £3,772.80 |
| 3.5 | £0.92 | £7.34 | £32.09 | £220.08 | £2,640.96 |
| 3.2 | £0.84 | £6.71 | £29.34 | £201.22 | £2,414.59 |
| 3 | £0.79 | £6.29 | £27.51 | £188.64 | £2,263.68 |
Kebab machines take the top spot with a staggering average power draw of 10.4 kW, costing £2.72 per hour to run. Used for a full 8-hour day, that's over £7,800 a year - a hefty price for sizzling meat on a spit.
Close behind are wok burners, barbecues and chargrills - all staples of high-heat, high-speed cooking. Wok burners in particular cost over £6,000 a year to run, driven by their intense heat output and long operating hours.
Combi ovens and deep fryers are also costly, each exceeding £3,700 a year in energy use. Pizza ovens match fryer usage, underlining how heavy-duty cooking gear contributes to major operational costs.
Even appliances like blast chillers, salamander grills and hot water urns, while seemingly less intense, still add thousands to annual bills. For example, a single hot water urn racks up £2,263.68 a year if run for 8 hours a day.
Which Are the Cheapest Appliances to Run?
It's good news for customers who like to slurp up drinks at their favourite takeaway shop, as water dispensers, cold juice dispensers and slushie machines rank among the cheapest appliances for businesses to run.
While some takeaway appliances guzzle electricity, others barely make a dent in your energy bill.
The table below shows the ten least expensive appliances to run based on annual energy costs.
Appliance | Avg. power (kW) | Per hour | Per day | Per week | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.05 | £0.01 | £0.10 | £0.46 | £3.14 | £37.73 |
| 0.18 | £0.05 | £0.38 | £1.65 | £11.32 | £135.82 |
| 0.2 | £0.05 | £0.42 | £1.83 | £12.58 | £150.91 |
| 0.2 | £0.05 | £0.42 | £1.83 | £12.58 | £150.91 |
| 0.2 | £0.05 | £0.42 | £1.83 | £12.58 | £150.91 |
| 0.25 | £0.07 | £0.52 | £2.29 | £15.72 | £188.64 |
| 0.25 | £0.07 | £0.52 | £2.29 | £15.72 | £188.64 |
| 0.3 | £0.08 | £0.63 | £2.75 | £18.86 | £226.37 |
| 0.3 | £0.08 | £0.63 | £2.75 | £18.86 | £226.37 |
| 0.3 | £0.08 | £0.63 | £2.75 | £18.86 | £226.37 |
Water dispensers are typically the cheapest appliance for takeaway shops to run, drawing just 0.05 kW and costing business owners just £37.73 a year.
Cold juice dispensers and slushie machines might work hard to keep your favourite drinks cold and fresh, but they're actually pretty low on energy consumption, drawing just 0.2 kW and costing around £151 a year to run.
Cold storage appliances like countertop fridges, upright fridges and chest freezers are also low-energy champs. Even when used daily, they all cost under £230 a year to run, making them essential but energy-efficient fixtures for any food service operation.
Vegetable prep machines and meat slicers may seem like serious hardware, but they're surprisingly affordable to run, costing just £151-£189 a year, depending on usage.
How Do Energy Price Rises Impact Takeaway Shops?
Energy prices change frequently, so for our analysis we used a baseline business electricity rate of 26.2p per kWh. This is the average fixed unit rate for medium and large businesses on Bionic's supplier panel in September 2026 - the bands most takeaways fall into, given they use 40,000-90,000 kWh a year on cooking alone.
But for takeaway shops, that rate can vary based on business size, location, energy usage and contract. Fixed rates on Bionic's panel currently range from around 26p to 28p per kWh, and even a small difference adds up fast.
For example:
An Indian takeaway paying 1p more per unit (from 26.2p to 27.2p) will spend an extra £907 a year on cooking appliance costs.
If that rate jumps by 3p (to 29.2p), the additional annual cost rises to over £2,720.
For fish and chip shops, a 3p rise means more than £2,100 extra per year.
Even lower-usage businesses like pizza shops or bakeries, and coffee shops could see their bills rise by around £1,600 a year under less favourable energy contracts.
Takeaway type | Annual cost | Additional if price rises by 1p | If price rises by 3p |
|---|---|---|---|
Indian | £23,768.64 | £907.20 | £2,721.60 |
Kebab | £22,385.28 | £854.40 | £2,563.20 |
Chinese | £22,259.52 | £849.60 | £2,548.80 |
Burger | £20,844.72 | £795.60 | £2,386.80 |
Mexican | £20,813.28 | £794.40 | £2,383.20 |
Fish and chips | £18,360.96 | £700.80 | £2,102.40 |
Fried chicken | £17,354.88 | £662.40 | £1,987.20 |
Bakery/coffee | £14,462.40 | £552.00 | £1,656.00 |
Pizza | £13,896.48 | £530.40 | £1,591.20 |
Sandwich/deli | £10,469.52 | £399.60 | £1,198.80 |
What happens if your contract runs out?
The biggest risk isn't a 1p or 3p rise - it's letting your fixed contract lapse. Out-of-contract business electricity rates currently sit at around 40p per kWh, according to Bionic data.
At that rate, an Indian takeaway's annual cooking costs would jump from £23,769 to £36,288 - an extra £12,519 a year. Even a sandwich shop would pay over £5,500 more. Comparing deals ahead of your renewal date is one of the simplest ways to avoid this.
Takeaway type | Annual cost | Annual cost at 40p | Extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Indian | £23,768.64 | £36,288.00 | £12,519.36 |
Kebab | £22,385.28 | £34,176.00 | £11,790.72 |
Chinese | £22,259.52 | £33,984.00 | £11,724.48 |
Burger | £20,844.72 | £31,824.00 | £10,979.28 |
Mexican | £20,813.28 | £31,776.00 | £10,962.72 |
Fish and chips | £18,360.96 | £28,032.00 | £9,671.04 |
Fried chicken | £17,354.88 | £26,496.00 | £9,141.12 |
Bakery/coffee | £14,462.40 | £22,080.00 | £7,617.60 |
Pizza | £13,896.48 | £21,216.00 | £7,319.52 |
Sandwich/deli | £10,469.52 | £15,984.00 | £5,514.48 |
What This Means for Takeaway Shop Business Owners
Energy use is one of the highest operational costs in a food business, and this data shows where those pounds are going.
For high-usage businesses, it's worth investing in energy-efficient equipment, switching off appliances during quiet periods, and regularly servicing equipment to keep bills under control.
Whether you're running a bustling curry house or a small panini café, being energy-conscious can go a long way in boosting your margins.
Reducing your bills starts with understanding how much power your appliances use. Our energy appliance calculator lets you quickly estimate the running costs of equipment in your workplace.
Select the appliances you use, enter how often and how long you use them, and our tool will estimate your electricity consumption and associated costs.
Methodology
Energy price costs: BusinessComparison has used a blend of proprietary data and energy price data from Bionic's supplier panel to assess average business electricity prices in the UK. Costs are based on a unit rate of 26.2p per kWh, the average fixed rate for medium and large businesses from September 1-8, 2026. Costs exclude standing charges, VAT and the Climate Change Levy. Out-of-contract costs use Bionic's current out-of-contract rate of 40p per kWh.
Appliance costs: Using a leading appliance retailer website, BusinessComparison has used AI to analyse product category pages to create average energy consumption figures for each cooking appliance, based on 20 product listings per page.
A blend of AI and editorial research has been used to identify the top 15 cooking appliances for each type of takeaway shop.
We have then calculated the average energy cost for each appliance per hour, day (8 hours), week (35 hours), month (30 days of 8 hours) and year (12 months).
Actual energy consumption may vary depending on a takeaway shop's own equipment, appliance use, location and supplier prices.
Ready to Cut Your Energy Costs?
If you're running a takeaway or small business, there's no reason to overpay for your power. With energy rates varying widely - and out-of-contract rates around 50% higher than a typical fixed deal - switching to a better deal could save you hundreds or even thousands each year. Don't wait for your next eye-watering bill - take control now.
Compare business energy deals today and see how much you could save. It only takes a few minutes, and it could be one of the smartest financial moves you make this year.
