You’re switching off all the lights in your house and the plugs at their sockets. You’re making your meals in a slow cooker and you’ve invested in an air fryer for quick, crispy chips. So why are your monthly energy bills still eye-wateringly high?
The problem, says the UK’s most trusted electrical retailer AO.com, could be your appliances. Whilst you should absolutely give yourself a pat on the back for adopting energy-saving habits, overlooking the energy efficiency of the white goods in your home – such as washing machines, tumble dryers, fridges, freezers and ovens could be costing you precious pounds.
Intuitive new products in the market come with smart functionalities that will reduce your bills, such as tumble dryers that use recycled hot air, fridge freezers with frost-free technology and washing machines that calculate the laundry load to dictate how long to spin.
If you’re looking to invest in new household electricals, the good news is it’s never been easier to judge the energy efficiency of your purchase.
AO.com’s appliance expert, Nick Small, explains how to be a savvy shopper: “Nowadays, appliances have an energy label to make it easier for shoppers to compare energy efficiency. The efficiency is measured on a scale from A to G according to how much energy is used during a typical use. The rating varies from appliance to appliance, so it’s worth being familiar with how the energy rating is calculated to ensure you make smart shopping decisions.”
It’s something retailers are building into the online shopping experience to inform the consumer at the point of purchase. For example, AO.com has a handy onsite energy-saving tool called Youreko which shows customers exactly how much money can be saved if they choose a more energy-efficient appliance.
Smaller appliances in frequent use should be considered too – think microwaves, toasters, kettles, food processors and blenders. If your kettle seems to be taking longer and longer to boil for that morning cuppa, the limescale inside your appliance could be to blame.
Thea Whyte is a small appliance expert at AO and offers a simple hack to descale an existing kettle for a new lease of life: “If you live in a hard water area, you’ll find that limescale can build up much quicker meaning you’ll need to descale your kettle every couple of months. It’s quick and easy to do by using either a dedicated descale product or a homemade mixture of half white vinegar and half water. Simply leave the mixture in the kettle overnight, empty in the morning and pop on a full kettle of water to boil and then empty again.”
AO kindly sent me the Smeg 50s Retro kettle to road test, which has a clever built-in limescale filter to reduce build-up. Given I live in the hardwater hotspot of London, I can’t tell you how excited I am about my beautiful new mint green kettle. Not only does it look chic, but it also takes half the amount of time to boil as my previous model, meaning the wait for my morning brew is quicker, kinder to the planet, and ultimately, cheaper.
The limescale filter will also improve the overall taste of hot drinks, as a build-up of calcium and magnesium can flatten the flavours and texture of tea. If that isn’t a reason to invest, I don’t know what is!
The Smeg 50s Retro kettle also boasts a handy temperature selector function, to make sure water is heated up hot enough to kill any lingering germs. With a kaleidoscopic range of colours available – from bold red to classic white and stainless steel, there’s a model to complement any kitchen decor.
A shiny new kettle that reduces the cost of your cuppa, enhances the flavour and helps the environment – what’s not to like?
