Energy efficiency ratings
Products that display this Energy Efficiency Recommended logo meet or exceed government-approved energy efficiency requirements. It's your guarantee that the product will save energy, cost less to run and help the environment.
EU Energy Label
To make it easy for you to compare one appliance with another, each one carries an energy efficiency label. Most are rated on a scale of A to G, with A being the most efficient. The only exceptions are refrigeration products, which now go up to A++. By law, retailers and manufacturers must display these labels on all new domestic appliances. Labels for different products contain different pieces of information.
Buying a more efficient model doesn't mean you're losing out on performance, but it does mean it will be cheaper to run and better for everyone.
Energy consumption and running costs
This shows how much electricity the appliance uses, measured in kWh/year (kilowatts per hour or year) for refrigeration or kWh per cycle for washing and other appliances.
You can work out a rough annual running cost by multiplying the kWh consumption figure by 7p (which is the average unit price of electricity).
Performance in other areas
Laundry and dishwashing labels also have ratings for washing, spin and/or drying performance. The rating system works in the same way, with A being best.
Noise
Some models will also include noise-level information. The lower the number, the less noise the appliance emits.
See below for detailed energy efficiency information in the following areas:
Laundry
An average washing machine does an amazing 274 cycles a year. So using an energy-efficient one can really make a difference.
Using a 40°C wash cycle rather than 60°C means you use a third less electricity. Reduce the wash temperature to 30°C and the amount of electricity saved will be even higher (not to mention the amount of money!)
Refrigeration
UK households spend £1.2 billion every year on electricity to keep our fridges and freezers going.
They are the most hardworking appliances in our kitchens. Working flat out 24/7, an inefficient one could be costly for you and the environment. But there is some good news. Buying a new Energy Efficiency Recommended fridge-freezer could save you up to £35 a year on your electricity bill and help reduce our carbon dioxide output.
Dishwashers
An inefficient dishwasher cycle costs around 11p. The same cycle on an energy-efficient machine will cost you only 6p. Energy-efficient dishwashers save on water too. With average dishwashers doing around 250 cycles per year, you could be saving around £15 a year on your electricity bill if you go for an energy-efficient model.