» Adding science to your appliance
Your washing machine or fridge doesn't have to be broken to be behaving criminally. Household appliances that are not energy efficient guzzle electricity at a vast rate.
Replacing your old fridge freezer with a new ‘A' rated Energy Efficiency Recommended model will save you up to £35 in running costs every single year, or £350 across the average life of the appliance. So if your appliance is coming to the end of its life, remember that saving a little on the purchase price by buying a less efficient model will end up costing you more in the long run.
All appliances, including fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers must, by law, show their energy efficiency rating. A simple way to identify whether an appliance is energy efficient is to look for the Energy Efficiency Recommended logo.
Alvin says: “Look for this logo to help you choose the right appliance. The logo appears on a growing range of products, from light bulbs to laundry appliances, and any product with the sticker is energy efficient and will help you save money.”
» Boiling Point
It’s not only kitchen appliances that waste energy. One of the biggest potential drains on your resources is your domestic boiler. It’s not a subject that most people know much about, but by requesting a high efficiency model, you could be doing yourself a big favour.
Much of the heat produced by a conventional boiler is lost up the flue - so you are effectively spending money on heating the outside atmosphere. Not the greatest use precious resources!
A high efficiency condensing boiler on the other hand, scavenges the escaping heat, and then recycles it back into the system to produce more heat. The results can be remarkable for instance, replacing a boiler that is more than 15 years old could save you as much as 32p in the pound on your fuel bills.
Alvin says: “High efficiency condensing boilers can be fitted nearly any heating system. They’re no bigger than conventional boilers, and are to more expensive to install. To maximise your savings, get your boiler serviced every year.”
