
Large appliances account for 42% of household electricity use, says charity.
If all UK households switched to the most energy-efficient appliances, this could save tens of millions of pounds a year, according to a new report.
According to a new report Watts in the Kitchen from environmental charity Global Action Plan (GAP), white goods – such as washing machines, fridges and freezers – account for 42% of all household electricity usage.
GAP says that if all UK consumers who bought an A rated fridge-freezer in 2011 had instead purchased an A+++ rated appliance, UK households would have made a collective financial saving of £24million a year.
However, the charity says consumers do not get the information they need to understand how much money super-efficient domestic appliances can save them.
Over the 15-year lifetime of the fridge-freezers, consumers would save £360million and enough energy to power 51,000 UK homes for a year – roughly the same as a town the size of Exeter.
This would save 100,000 tonnes of carbon a year – equivalent to taking 33,000 cars off the road.
GAP says the number of domestic appliances in UK households is increasing – with an average of 41 electrical products now in each home. Yet super-efficient white goods only account for 30% of sales because of a lack of consumer information.
Which? concurs with GAPs findings, as the consumer watchdog’s energy costs calculators show that the best annual running cost for fridge-freezers is £15 and the worst is £76, a potential £610 saving over 10 years.
Similarly with dishwashers, where the best annual running cost is £22 and the worst £68, a possible £460 difference over 10 years.
According to Which?, the following products legally have to display energy information, so if you can’t see it, ask for it:
- Washing machines, washer-dryers and tumble dryers
- Fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers
- Dishwashers
- Electric ovens
- Energy-saving light bulbs
- Air conditioners
Which? also advises consumers to be aware that energy efficiency ratings now go up to A+++ for some appliances, so even if an appliance is A rated it may not be the most efficient sort.
If you want to calculate your costs for energy with different products then you can visit The Energy Shop Cost Calculator
From this source: http://www.energychoices.co.uk/news/super-efficient-white-goods-could-save-brits-millions-a-year-17-04-13.html (No longer valid)