To think slow cookers use a lot of electricity?

[maa1992]

Hi,

DH pays gas and electric (currently on meters waiting to be taken onto monthly pay) I'm on maternity leave.

I use my slow cooker 1-2 times per week (smallest slow cooker ever) and it makes plenty of food for me for the week and so handy with having a baby to look after.

DH doesn't like food from the slow cooker, due to his work schedule we usually have to eat tea at different times etc.

Today DH says it's costing too much and it's ridiculous and it's pointless, he thinks it's using all our electricity and costing him a fortune.

I'm struggling on my maternity pay, I still our mortgage and council tax though DH contributes some, my outgoings leave me with next to nothing.

I've been enjoying cooking, I then got upset because I don't do much else and I use hardly any electric and I'm mindful of it because I feel bad I can't contribute more.

Blah idk Im probably being unreasonable getting so upset but I didn't think they cost a lot to run and I feel like it was some stupid little thing I enjoyed and now I feel bad for even doing that.

Sorry for the moan, I'm emotional and extremely fed up of relying on him financially for the gas and electric and I just want to use my bloody slow cooker.

Now I'm sat upstairs fuming, while he plays his PlayStation that I'm sure uses just as much electricity

Ahhhh one of those days!!!

It's no different to having a light on, it draws very little power. Tell him he's an idiot.

@ChinookPilotsGoVertical thanks for the reply! I didn't think it used much, hes convinced it took £3 worth of electric after one use. Ahhh driving me mad!

Google is your friend:

Games Console: around 3p an hour
On average, games consoles use half a unit of electricity (around 8p) to power three hours of gameplay – or around 3p an hour.

The average 3.5 litre slow cooker uses about 1.3 kWh of electricity or 21p to power eight hours of cooking – that's less that 1p per hour.

And yours is a smaller one.

Playstation deffo uses lots more - even without counting the telly.

kitchencookings.com/cooking-and-money-saving-are-slow-cookers-energy-efficient/

Slow cookers are very energy efficient: he's wrong.

@Nanny0gg ooo thank you! I've been on google, struggled to find the exact stats but I'll show him this!!

I don't think it's the slow cooker that's the problem here, tbh.

I costs a lots less then using and oven. I seemed to remember it's about 20p to run a 3.5 litre one for one meal.

And probably a lot less then his play station.

I betting this is more to do with him cooking his own meal rather then you using a slow cooker. Continue using it.

Sounds like there's far more than the slow cooker going on here. What is your DH eating and how much is that costing?

How much does he have to spend on himself, are you both short or is he one of those twats who seems to think that there should be no impact in his finances or anything else for that matter when he has a child?

Yep, slow cookers are really energy efficient. In any case, presumably you have to cook food? So you'd have to use gas or electricity whatever you did.

It's weird that your husband is moaning about using electricity on an essential thing. My husband went through a stage of telling me that using the washing machine is very expensive. However we do need clean clothes.

The cost effectiveness is the main point of using a slow cooker! It is for me, anyway. I am on a prepayment meter so can see exactly how much everything uses. The slow cooker uses so, so much less in a whole day than sticking the oven on for just 10 minutes. Your DH is just plain wrong.

Sounds like you have much bigger problems.

Why are you paying all the mortgage and council tax whereas your DH only "contributes"?

From what I've read they cost the same as powering a lightbulb, so very little. I use my slow cooker all the time and my smart meter registers it as 2p an hour for my 6.5ltr slow cooker.

Slow cooker is the least of your worries tbh.

Is he eating ready meals or takeaway while you're eating the slow cooker meals? If so then that's what's expensive. He sounds like a bit of a twat to be honest OP.

Why are you left with nothing because you are on maternity leave? What does your DH expect of you? Is he going to be contributing towards childcare?

This isn't really about the slow cooker. You need food, you're looking after his baby. Why is, this even an issue?

Was it a planned pregnancy and agreed upon by both of you?

Thanks to your thread, OP i now want slow cooked beef stew.

I think it's upset me more because I'm not in a position to pay the gas and electric each week, whereas I used to split it 50/50 and I feel down about it especially with him bringing it up constantly.

I'm very mindful of what we spend and I contribute to everything else. DH earns significantly more right now due to maternity leave. He does contribute and I couldn't financially function without his help, but I'm also aware he earns in a week, what I get in a month so I know it's not crippling him.

I think I've overreacted slightly because of bigger issues over hating relying on someone else. I'm also just peeved that I use a slow cooker, it's not as though I'm going out spending valuable money on things I shouldn't be, but I blew up and look like a crazy person

I'm struggling on my maternity pay, I still our mortgage and council tax though DH contributes some, my outgoings leave me with next to nothing

What now?

Today DH says it's costing too much and it's ridiculous and it's pointless, he thinks it's using all our electricity and costing him a fortune.

Leaving aside the observation that your husband clearly doesn’t understand how to read a meter, you batch cook for the week while caring for a newborn baby and you find it easy, convenient and enjoyable. Therefore, it’s not ridiculous or pointless.

Or does he mean that it’s ridiculous and pointless because it’s not him who benefits from it?

If he's earning significantly more than you, he shouldn't be just "contributing". You have a child and a mortgage together. Why are you not sharing finances as a family?

Slow cooker is the least of your worries tbh.

This!

Why are you left struggling when he earns 4x your income? That's shocking

@Ponoka7 very planned ivf baby, so he was really aware of what was to come. We're planning a childminder but he keeps putting off meeting them. DS is 5 months and teething so can be extremely demanding, I'm not ready to leave him with a childminder just yet.

Before DS was born, DH said he would top up my income so that I wouldn't struggle, and financially this would be fine for him too. This is decreasing each month. I try talking about it, and he says not to worry we'll be fine and he'll help out more.

I'll be talking to him about it later when I'm not so angry and emotional

I use slow cooker as i worked out it was a lot more economical than using oven. If i was you id be putting the slow cooker in back of cupboard and start using oven and taking 5 showers a day, thatl teach the miserable git and why are you paying anything when you are only getting maternity pay...honestly..does he squeak when he walks?