Will an induction cooker raise your electricity bill? Here’s how to keep it in check

With talk of LPG shortages already nudging restaurants to trim menus and rethink high-flame cooking, many homes are beginning to look at induction stoves a little more seriously. The idea sounds practical enough. If gas needs to last longer, electricity can take over part of the cooking. But the first thing people ask is also the most obvious one. Will the electricity bill shoot up?

It can, but not in the way most people imagine.

Induction cooktops do draw more power at a given moment. Most fall in the 1200–2000 watt range, which sounds heavy on paper. But they also cook faster and waste far less heat than a gas stove. The heat goes straight into the vessel instead of escaping around it, which means less time on the stove and more control over cooking.

So while the unit consumption is higher per minute, the minutes themselves are fewer.

That balance is what decides whether your bill creeps up or stays in check.

Why induction makes sense right now
With LPG becoming something people are trying to stretch — using lids more often, planning meals better, avoiding long simmering — induction fits neatly into that shift.

It works best for quick, everyday cooking. Boiling water, making tea, cooking dal, pressure cooking vegetables...These are all faster on induction, and that speed directly cuts down energy use.

Used this way, it doesn’t replace LPG completely, but it takes a good amount of pressure off the cylinder.

Where the bill can go wrong
Trouble starts when induction is used like a gas stove.

Letting curries simmer endlessly, keeping the heat high out of habit, or reheating food multiple times a day can quietly push up electricity usage. Induction responds quickly, so it doesn’t need to be kept on the way gas does.

Cookware matters too. If the base isn’t induction-friendly or sits unevenly, the stove takes longer to heat, which means more power consumed for the same dish.

Simple ways to keep electricity use under control
A few small changes go a long way here.

• Use the right cookware
  Stick to steel or induction-compatible vessels. If the pan is not suited for induction, it won’t heat properly and the cooker will end up using more power to do the same job.
• Make sure the base is flat
  Flat-bottomed vessels heat faster and more evenly. This cuts down cooking time, which in turn helps reduce electricity use.
• Don’t keep it on high all the time
  Every dish doesn’t need maximum power. Using only the heat level you actually need makes a noticeable difference to your power consumption.
• Cook with a lid on
  Keeping the vessel covered helps food cook faster. Less cooking time means the induction stays on for a shorter duration.
• Prep before you switch it on
  Finish chopping vegetables and getting your ingredients ready before turning on the stove. This avoids the cooker running while you’re still prepping.
• Use only as much water as needed
  Adding excess water means it takes longer to heat. Using the right quantity helps speed up cooking and saves power.

So will your electricity bill go up?
It might, if the stove is left running longer than it needs to be or used for everything without a second thought. But in most homes, once the initial excitement settles and cooking habits adjust, the numbers tend to even out.

Induction cooking isn’t automatically expensive, just like LPG isn’t automatically cheap anymore. Both depend on how you use them.

In the current situation, the smarter approach for most homes is a mix. Use induction for quick, daily cooking and save LPG for dishes that need long, slow heat. That way, you stretch your gas cylinder without letting your electricity bill take a hit.