Choosing Environmentally Friendly Appliances

Most of us are doing what we can to help the environment today. Separating the household trash for recycling, driving a battery operated car, even using non-aerosol sprays within your home helps. It’s now time to replace your refrigerator, washer & dryer or dishwasher in your home and even though you may dread the price tag, (and we know you do), you still want to buy an environmentally friendly appliance for your home. Many stores that deal in appliances today sometimes offer incentives when you buy an energy saving appliance from them so you may want to check out the sales in your local newspaper. However, you still need to know how energy efficient the appliance you’re buying really is.

European appliances today all have a rating system or Energy Label attached to all new appliances like…

• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Washers
• Dryers
• Dishwashers
• Air Conditioners

This gives the appliance a rating of A thru G--A being the best energy saver and G the worst. The higher the letter, the better the appliance is for the environment because it will produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Using appliances with an “A” rating saves you the most energy and uses less water, (if it’s a clothes washer or dishwasher) and will save you the most money in the long run.
When buying a refrigerator, look for features with simple controls for the fridge and freezer temps and adjustable shelves for easier cleaning. Avoid through the door models that have water/ice dispensers. These are usually more expensive and actually use more energy to run. Refrigerators with top and bottom doors are more energy friendly than side by side refrigerators. The most energy efficient refrigerators today are actually given an A+ or A++ on a large black arrow appearing against the green “A” arrow.
When choosing a clothes washer, front loaders are more energy efficient and space saving since they can be placed under a counter or stairway. They also treat your clothes better and use less detergent than top loading washers. Use cold water when ever possible to wash your clothes. Heating water can generate up to 4kg of greenhouse gas, a cold wash produces less than 0.5 kg.
If possible, try to purchase a gas fired or heat pump model dryer. Yes, they are more expensive to buy however, they will pay for themselves during they’re lifetime because they are a lot cheaper to run. Easily accessible lint filters and reverse tumbling features help save energy too.
We hope this helps when you need to buy your next home appliance. Refrigerators, washers/dryers, etc. can be some of the most expensive things you can buy and you may be tempted to buy the less expensive brand and model. We at greendeal.co.uk want to give you another incentive to choose energy efficient appliances. If you decide to purchase an appliance through our website we will reduce your carbon footprint by offsetting it.  We will pay for DEFRA certified reduction carbon projects. You need to change the way you think by thinking in terms of saving money over the long term rather than what little bit of money you might save now. We all need to do whatever we can to keep our environment clean for our children and their children, if we don’t start now, then who will?