Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

Saving energy - energy efficient appliances and lighting

If you're shopping for new appliances or light bulbs always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo. These products are the most energy efficient in their category so will therefore cost less to run and help reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with climate change. For more information about lighting or different types of appliances follow these links:

• Energy saving lighting
• Cookers
• Fridges and freezers
• Washing machines and tumble dryers

The Energy Saving Recommended logo appears on a wide range of products, including insulation, light bulbs and light fittings, boilers, heating controls, glazing, integrated digital televisions and kitchen appliances including fridges, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines.   

Energy Saving Recommended Logo

Energy Label

The European Energy Label shows the energy efficiency of an appliance compared with similar models on a scale of A to G. The label also shows the electricity consumption of the appliance and additional information including the capacity of a fridge or freezer and the wash and spin performance of washing machines. 

The Energy Label must, by law, be shown on all refrigeration and laundry appliances, dishwashers, electric ovens and light bulb packaging.

Over its lifetime, the cost of running an appliance can be more than the initial purchase cost, so it is worthwhile purchasing the most efficient appliance you can afford. The average running cost per year can be found by multiplying the kWh consumption on the label by the length of time it will be used in hours by the cost per kWh of electricity in pence (assumed to be 7p).

EU energy label

Low energy lighting

A single low energy light bulb can save up to £7 a year on electricity bills and will pay for itself within one year. Low energy light bulbs last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs and use up to 80% less energy.  The Energy Saving Trust has produced a guide to low energy light bulbs which can be downloaded. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, fittings and wattages but remember to check that the bulb will fit into your lampshade before you buy. If you are unsure of what wattage you need use the following table as a guide: 

Cookers

As a guide an electric hob will cost approximately 11p an hour to run and a gas hob will cost approximately 5p an hour. When cooking choose the right pan size for the food and the ring, cut food into smaller pieces and put lids on pans to minimise the heat lost from the pan. If using several pans it would be worthwhile investing in a pressure/steam cooker, which cooks food faster, or a slow cooker which uses little more electricity than a light bulb. 

Fridges and freezers 

If you need to replace your fridge or freezer, look for an A rated model. Chest freezers are more efficient than upright ones as less cold air falls out of them when the lid is opened. Condensation on the outside of your fridge or freezer means that the insulation has deteriorated and is using more power than it should.  To use your fridge or freezer more efficiently you should:

• Leave adequate ventilation space at the back and top of your fridge or freezer, but make sure it is kept full inside (even with old newspaper) to reduce warm air circulating within the appliance. 
• Site your freezer in a cool place and avoid putting warm food directly into the fridge.
• Replace damaged door seals as they let heat in. If the door cannot tightly hold a piece of paper then they need replacing. Door seals are inexpensive.
• Check the temperature inside using a fridge thermometer (fridges should be 0-4°C and freezers should be -18°C). 
• Defrost regularly, the more ice, the more electricity used.  If buying a new appliance look for an automatically defrosting model.

Washing machines and tumble dryers

Most of the energy used in washing and drying is used to heat the water or dry the clothes. Spinning does not use much energy in comparison to drying. A 30°C wash works as effectively as a 40°C wash and most washing detergents now work just as well at lower temperatures.

When buying a new washing machine or tumble dryer look for an A rated one. The following controls on a washing machine will help you reduce the amount of energy it uses. 

• Cold wash facility uses cold water only
• Hot fill facility uses hot water from your heating system reducing the heating by the machine 
• No-heater setting washes at the incoming temperature
• Economy button usually reduces the temperature by one step
• Use short wash cycles for light soiling
• Most half-load programmes often do not halve the amount of water and electricity used so it is better to wait until you have a full load

You can purchase gas tumble dryers that are two thirds cheaper to run than electric ones however, they do cost more to purchase. If you are on an Economy 7 electricity tariff, washing and drying overnight will cut running costs even more, but remember to fit a smoke alarm near the machine and ensure the noise does not upset your neighbours. 

Washing machine pic