How much Power or Gas should 1 or 2 Loaves of Bread same time run into?
Baking your own bread at home in Australia is incredibly cheap on utilities, costing roughly $0.60 to $1.10 in total power or gas per baking session, regardless of whether you bake one or two loaves at the exact same time.
Because your oven heats a fixed volume of air, it uses virtually the exact same amount of energy to bake two loaves side-by-side as it does to bake one. Doubling up your loaves is the smartest way to make your energy use highly efficient.
1. If You Use an Electric Oven
An average Australian household oven draws about 2.4 kW to 3.0 kW of power. However, it only draws full power during the initial 15-minute preheat. Once it hits temperature, the thermostat cycles the heating elements on and off to maintain the heat, meaning it only uses about half that power while baking. SA.GOV +2
- The Math: A 15-minute preheat plus a 40-minute bake uses roughly 2.0 to 2.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of total electricity.
- The Cost: With average Australian electricity rates hovering between 26c and 32c per kWh, a complete electric baking session will cost between $0.65 and $0.80 on your power bill. EnergyPlan
2. If You Use a Gas Oven
Household gas ovens use an average of 12 to 15 Megajoules (MJ) of gas per hour.
- The Math: Running your oven for roughly an hour (preheat included) consumes about 15 to 18 MJ of gas energy.
- The Cost: With average Australian residential gas usage rates sitting around 2.5c to 4.5c per MJ depending on your state and usage tier, a full gas baking session will cost between $0.45 and $0.80. Finder.com.au +1
3. What About the Dough Maker?
You don't even need to worry about the cost of running your new
Joydeem or BearTech machine. Because they use tiny, highly efficient 200W to 250W motors that only run for 15 minutes, kneading a batch of dough costs less than 2 cents in electricity.
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The Verdict
Baking two artisan, gut-healthy loaves at the same time costs you about 40 cents per loaf in utility energy. When you compare that to the soaring retail prices of specialty artisan heritage breads in shops, baking at home remains a massive win for making ends meet!
Is that Current Australian Prices?
Yes, those are current Australian utility prices. The figures reflect standard residential tariffs across the states. EnergyPlans +1
The Flat-Rate State Comparison
To give you peace of mind based on exactly where you live, the typical cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for electricity and per megajoule (MJ) for gas generally breaks down like this:
Victoria: Electricity averages around 26c/kWh; gas is roughly 2.6c to 4.0c/MJ.
New South Wales: Electricity averages around 31c to 36c/kWh; gas is roughly 2.7c to 4.5c/MJ.
Queensland: Electricity averages around 33c/kWh; gas is roughly 2.4c to 4.4c/MJ.
South Australia: Electricity is highest at 34c to 43c/kWh; gas is roughly 3.0c to 5.7c/MJ.
Western Australia: Electricity sits at a regulated 32.4c/kWh. Canstar +5