Why is UK seeing a significant rise in sale of air fryers?

With UK facing soaring electricity, food prices, inflation and fears of a national power outage if Russia’s Vladimir Putin cuts off energy supplies, one particular item is in high demand – air fryers.

But what are air fryers? Why are they flying off the shelves?

Let’s take a closer look:

What is an air fryer?

An air fryer is an appliance that can be used to prepare meat, pastries, and potato chips, as per the website Healthline.

It works by circulating hot air around the food to produce a crunchy, crispy exterior.

Requiring just a tablespoon of oil, it is claimed to be a healthy alternative to deep frying, as per the website.

The Guardian quoted market research firm GfK as saying that four times more air fryers sold in September compared to the same month in 2021.

Some popular models of air fryer like the Ninja are sold out.

Supermarket Asda told the newspaper its sales of air fryers had increased 320 per cent year on year.

The newspaper quoted Kelly Whitwick, the head of retail insights at GfK, as saying, “Despite such a mild autumn, buyers are already investing heavily in products to help through what is expected to be an incredibly challenging winter. In the coming months we expect to see consumers spend more conservatively and focus on items that enable them to save as much money as they can,” she said.

Why is this happening?

Because Britons are struggling to cope with its worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation are rushing to purchase energy saving gadgets.

UK residents are expected to witness an 80 per cent increase in their annual household energy bills, the country’s energy regulator announced in August.

That, following an eye-watering 54 per cent spike in April.

The average consumer will now be out 3,549 pounds per year rather than the previous 1,971 pounds.

And bills are expected to rise again in January to 4,000 pounds.

To blame for the increase is the soaring price of wholesale natural gas triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is driving up consumer prices and roiling economies across Europe that rely on the fuel for heating homes and generating electricity.

That includes the United Kingdom, which has the highest inflation rate among the Group of Seven wealthiest democracies and seen disruptive strikes for months as workers push for pay to keep pace with the increasingly expensive cost of living.

The energy increases, together with rapidly rising food costs, are expected to push inflation above the 40-year high of 10.1 per cent recorded in July and trigger a recession later this year, the Bank of England has predicted.

Charities, public health leaders and even energy firms warn of catastrophic effects on poorer people already struggling to afford essentials as wages lag behind.

While the previous Liz Truss government had vowed to freeze energy prices till 2024, new finance minister Jeremy Hunt recently announced that he would pull the plug on the flagship energy price freeze in April 2023 rather than late 2024.

What do experts say?

Experts say consumers should take a close look at the cost-benefit before purchasing items like air fryers.

Emily Seymour, the energy and sustainability editor at consumer group Which? told The Guardian energy-saving gadgets such as air fryers can lead to significant savings but warned “consumers should consider the upfront cost of the air fryer when determining any energy cost savings” when looking at the top of the line models.

“Those looking to cook bigger meals should probably consider sticking to an oven because you’re cooking more food in the space you’ve heated,” Seymour added.

With inputs from agencies

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