Brits have been issued a warning over "cheap" appliances that are adding hundreds to their energy bills.
The consumer champion Which? has warned that some appliances - such as freezers, ovens and washing machines - that are considered cheap at less than £500 could cost more to run over the course of the year compared to average costs.
Which? measured how much a number of cheaper energy appliances used and based on this, the group calculated how much they’ll cost to run using the most popular programmes and settings over the year.
The most expensive appliance to run was the Hoover-HLEV10LG vented tumble dryer. This appliance costs £279, but was the most expensive tumble dryer to run with its annual costs surpassing £200. This is compared to the average annual running cost for vented tumble dryers at £147 and condenser machines at £140.
Another appliance that was at risk of running up your energy bills more than you might expect was the Hisense RB327N4WW1 fridge freezer. This retails for around £399 but Which? found it would cost £113.12 a year to run. This is £32 more expensive than the average running cost for a freestanding model at £81. One of the cheapest models to run sat at around £40 a year.
Another product that scored poorly for its energy efficiency was the Beko DIN15X20 dishwasher. Retailing at £279 this appliance costs £88.89 to run, however, the average running cost for a dishwasher is around £78. The cheapest full-sized model to run tested by Which? cost around £55.
Which? also tested the Hotpoint H8 W946WB washing machine, which retailed at £499 and cost £86.22 a year to run, the Samsung UE43CU8000 television which cost £369 and cost £29.57 to run, and the Samsung NV7B41307AS built-in oven, which retailed at £439 and cost £79.47 to run. The average running cost for these appliances sat at £65, £24.82, and £64 respectively.
It's not just the big appliances Brits should be worried about as some small kitchen gadgets could also be running up your energy costs. Which? found that the the Cookworks Plastic Kettle 825/6344 (in white) and 874/2119 (in black), priced at just £7, costs £50.74 a year to run. This is £27 more expensive than the average running costs and £42 more than the most energy-efficient model. Across all of the listed products above, the running costs total over £600.
For those looking to find alternative ways to heat their home this winter could be in for a shock. Which? found that the Dimplex 3kW Rugged Fan Heater costing just £79 actually cost nearly £500 to run over the course of the year. This was based on the heater being used for four hours a day, seven days a week, over 20 weeks across winter.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: “When buying a new household appliance, don’t be fooled by a low price point as this can mask bigger costs in the long run. Which?’s robust testing goes further by including energy efficiency ratings so customers have a much clearer idea of the true cost of the product they’re buying. When looking to buy a new appliance you can check the Which? website for our recommended Eco Buys and tips on how to cut your energy costs generally.”
Commenting on behalf of Beko, Adam Norris, senior product manager said: “At Beko, we pride ourselves on providing affordable, energy-efficient dishwashers at a range of price points to ensure we meet consumer demand. As a business we made the decision to discontinue any F-rated appliances and upweight our A, B and C-rated appliances, demonstrating our commitment to energy efficiency and cost-savings for our customers. There are many independent statistics that show dishwashers (whether A or E-rated) can save both water and energy versus handwashing, so we would never want to discourage consumers from looking into owning a dishwasher, as longer term it will support overall household energy savings.”
A spokesperson for Hisense commented: “Hisense is committed to bringing new products to market that are energy efficient, to ensure that consumer’s bills are as low as possible, and this is reflected across our appliance ranges. The RB327N4WW1 referenced is one of our older models which launched back in 2019 and the figure quoted by Which? is higher than the running costs for this model stated elsewhere. Given the new EU regulations, all F Rated products are being removed from the market, and this will be replaced with the E Rated RB327N4WWE.”
Whirlpool declined to comment on the Which? findings in relation to the Hotpoint H8 W946WB washing machine and Argos, Dimplex, Hoover and Samsung did not respond.