Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Electric BBQ vs gas: the fuel decision

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are standing between a cylinder barbecue and a plug, and the adverts are not describing the same evening. One side says electric tastes like charcoal. The other says gas is always cheaper to run. Electric BBQ vs gas, on this page, is the fuel decision: what a lead changes, what a cylinder still does better, and one published running-cost scene from the Energy Saving Trust. It does not rank one open plate against another. If you do choose electric, those rows are on the [Electric BBQ comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/electric-bbq). Every electric model in this set is corded. A pitch without a socket is already a gas or charcoal conversation. Updated 23 October 2026 by Peter F., DIY and tools editor.

You are standing between a cylinder barbecue and a plug, and the adverts are not describing the same evening. One side says electric tastes like charcoal. The other says gas is always cheaper to run.

Our top picks

Ninja Ninja Woodfire OG701UK

Best overall

Ninja Ninja Woodfire OG701UK
9.4/10about £259.99
View offer
George Foreman George Foreman Large Fit Grill 25820

Rank 2

George Foreman George Foreman Large Fit Grill 25820
9.2/10about £55.99
View offer
Weber Weber Lumin

Rank 3

Weber Weber Lumin
8.6/10about £389
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are comparing
  2. 2.Running cost for one published scenario
  3. 3.Heat, smoke and size
  4. 4.When gas stays the right tool

What you are comparing

A gas barbecue stores fuel in a cylinder and needs a matching regulator and hose. You can run out halfway through, and the cylinder has to sit where the lease allows. London Fire Brigade says not to barbecue on a balcony. A cylinder there is not a loophole. An electric BBQ replaces the cylinder with a lead: a Weber Lumin at 2,300 W, a Ninja that also burns pellets, or a George Foreman for the kitchen. Outdoor manuals want an earthed socket and an RCD not exceeding 30 mA. No flame does not make a Ninja or Weber an indoor grill. Charcoal is the third fuel. Which? notes it reaches higher temperatures than the electric and gas barbecues it has looked at.

Running cost for one published scenario

Energy Saving Trust priced one Great Britain cook in July 2026: a 40–50 cm grill, two people, two hours. Electric was about £1.10, charcoal about £1.40, and gas about £2.70. Northern Ireland electric in that table is about £1.30. That is the scene, not an hourly tariff, and not a cook for eight. Read £1.10 as that scene was cheaper on electric than on gas. Do not quote 55p an hour. A bottle you already own is not the £2.70 they modelled. A Ninja at £259.99 or a Lumin at £389 is not repaid in one Sunday. The type choice is the electric barbecue buying guide.
Ninja Ninja Woodfire OG701UK

Testsieger

Ninja Ninja Woodfire OG701UK
9.4/10about £259.99
View offer

Heat, smoke and size

Which?'s case for electric is convenience and a compact body. Against it: the lead, the size, and wet weather. The biggest stated grate here is the Weber Lumin at 33 × 49 cm. The Ninja claims eight burgers, 16 sausages or two racks of ribs. A four-burner gas wagon will feel larger. Wattage does not stretch a small plate. A plain element does not taste of wood. Ninja reviews still say pellet smoke is not charcoal. You fill the box or ignition fails, and that grill stays outside. IPX4 is splash resistance, not a downpour.

When gas stays the right tool

Keep gas for a crowd bigger than a 33 × 49 cm grate, if you already have a legal place for the cylinder. Keep gas if you would otherwise run a lead across wet ground. Keep charcoal if that flavour is the point. Electric fits a small cook when you do not want a cylinder and the manual allows the socket. For many flats that is a kitchen contact grill, not a Ninja carried inside. A cylinder ban is not a balcony permit. Hull's own blocks ban electrical items on the balcony as well as gas. That point is on electric BBQ on a balcony.

Common questions

Is an electric BBQ better than gas?
It is better when you drop the cylinder and the cook looks like the Trust’s scene: a modest grate, two people, a couple of hours, where the manual allows the socket. It is worse for a large garden barbecue, wet weather, or charcoal flavour from a plain element. The Ninja is the pellet exception, and it stays outdoors.
How much does an electric BBQ cost to run?
In the Energy Saving Trust’s July 2026 Great Britain example, about £1.10 for a 40–50 cm grill, two people and two hours, against about £2.70 for gas and about £1.40 for charcoal. Northern Ireland electric in that table is about £1.30. Your unit rate and hours move the figure. Do not quote 55p an hour as if the Trust had published a tariff.
Will I miss the smoky taste?
On a plain grate or a contact grill, yes, if smoky means charcoal or wood. Which? points at Ninja pellets and the Weber Lumin as routes toward char, not the same flavour. Smokeless on an open plate means less smoke from a water tray, not a smoked brisket. If that taste is the point, charcoal is the honest buy.
Do I still need to store a cylinder?
Not for a pure electric grill. You store a lead and, on the Ninja, pellets, which you do not keep under a cover while the box is burning. A hybrid that is electric in the title and gas in the manual is not this set. Outdoor electric manuals still want an RCD and an earthed socket.
Can I use electric in the rain?
Do not plan on it. Which? lists wet weather as a drawback. IPX4 means splash resistance, not a storm. Older Weber guidance says not to cook in the rain and to keep the plug dry. If British rain is the habit, a gas barbecue in a suitable outdoor spot is the more reliable fuel.
Is electric allowed where gas is banned?
Only where the ban was about cylinders or flame and the lease still allows an appliance in that place. It is not automatic. Ninja and Weber Lumin manuals forbid indoor use. Hull’s pages, for its own blocks, ban electrical items on the balcony as well as gas. A kitchen contact grill can be what is left. Ask the agent if the lease is silent.

Related pages

Best electric barbecue

Electric BBQ

Electric BBQ on a balcony: lease before the listing

Electric barbecue buying guide: type, plug and tray

How to use an electric BBQ: tray, RCD and fat fires

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for these ASINs.

  1. Electrical Safety First: portable grills (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. London Fire Brigade: barbecue safety leaflet, April 2024 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: fire safety in flats (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Ninja UK: OG701UK outdoor use FAQ (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Weber: Lumin owner’s guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Energy Saving Trust: summer energy saving (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)