Choosing and buying appliances
As your appliances wear out it makes sense to choose energy efficient replacements to save you money in the long run. The more efficient models often give you other benefits too.
Work out what you need from your appliance
Before you start looking at different appliances work out what size you need. Think about how many people normally live in your house, and how often you will use the appliance. For example, if you are a person living alone, you might not need a large capacity washing machine.
It's always cheaper and easier to buy the right sized appliance up front than make do with one that's too big or too small.
Consider running costs
Once you know what size appliance you need, you can compare models to find one with the lowest energy use and running costs. There are other factors to consider as well as the price and running costs, such as quality and durability, noise, special features, etc. These are covered in the sections for each type of appliance.
Choosing by labels
When you are buying appliances or home electronics, have a look at the energy labels.
The two to look out for are:
The energy rating label provides you with information on roughly how much electricity an appliance uses in a year, plus a star rating to show how energy efficient it is. The label helps you to compare between models and choose the most energy-efficient appliance to suit your needs.
The star ratings on the energy rating labels allow you to compare between similar models. So use the stars to compare two makes of small fridge for example. If you want to compare a small fridge to a big one, use the energy use figure (kWh) on the label.
The ENERGY STAR mark can be found on some kinds of products. Only the efficient products in a class carry the ENERGY STAR mark.
More information
You can find more information about choosing appliances under each of the following product categories:
- Whiteware: dishwashers, dryers, fridges and freezers, washing machines
- Heating and cooling: heat pumps
- Home electronics: audio equipment, DVD products, set-top boxes
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Office equipment: computers and imaging equipment (printers, scanners, faxes).
