Frozen food retailer Iceland has partnered with Utilita to help UK households save money during the cost-of-living crisis.
According to research by the energy supplier, households could save £604 each year by using cooking methods that are more energy-efficient.
Launching in September, the ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ initiative looks to help families learn how to make budgets stretch further by understanding the cost of cooking.
As reported by Scottish Housing News, both Utilita and Iceland will commit to 11 pro-consumer, pro-planet pledges including the retailer’s own-brand packaging reflecting more energy-efficient cooking methods and appliances.
Utilita will also be facilitating a national consumer awareness tour on ‘Cooking High 5’ outside of Iceland stores.
This comes as the research found that 42% of households use the oven by default for most of their cooking needs with 52% not knowing which appliances are most costly to run.
Looking into the energy consumption of 92 appliances across 24 sources, the data found the electric cooker to be the most expensive to use at £316.54 a year, compared to the microwave at just £30.02 over the same period.
As a result, the collaboration will see the Tower Housewares 4.51 air fryer sold at a discounted price of £35 via Iceland stores and Utilita’s High Street Energy Hubs as a way for families to avoid using an oven.
READ MORE: Iceland launches value essentials range in latest bid to tackle rising food prices
“The cost of living crisis continues to be the biggest national issue facing consumers and as a private, family-run business, we’re constantly looking at both short, and long-term initiatives that can offer any support,” Iceland managing director, Richard Walker said.
“Our ‘Shop Smart, Cook Savvy’ collaboration with Utilita is so important, as it shines a light on the relationship between what we buy and how much energy we use cooking it, helping to empower our customers and provide them with access to information that can help stretch their budgets further.”
Utilita founder and CEO, Bill Bullen added: “For as long as we can remember, our kitchens have been designed around the oven being the main cooking method, which isn’t the case for many households today.
“Much more economical cooking appliances such as air fryers, slow cookers and microwaves have become increasingly more popular. However, the cooking instructions on food packets haven’t reflected this.
“Utilita and Iceland are closely aligned in our mission to help households make their money go further. There are so many factors that neither Richard nor I can control today, but the cost of cooking is mutual ground that we can help consumers with.”
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