Eco Homes

The amount of energy we use is fast becoming one of the key considerations when buying household appliances, which applies particularly to the ones we use in the kitchen. This is one of the reasons why eco kitchen appliances are fast becoming a must have kitchen accessory.

In fact, in a recent survey (by fitted kitchen supplier Sigma 3) eco kitchen appliances ranked ahead of TVs and American style fridges as the most sought after kitchen item. And if the shocking headlines that energy bills could increase by 60% in the next ten years come true, this is a trend that’s only going to continue.

Here’s a guide to some of the most popular eco kitchen appliances for cutting your eco home’s energy bills, and to help save the planet at the same time:

Eco washing machine – It’s estimated that if everyone in the UK starting using eco washing machines it would save almost £1 billion and cut 40,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. In fact, The Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates that eco washing machines can save 45 kg of carbon per household and provide 86 extra washes for the same amount of energy as a conventional machine. With these figures in mind, it’s easy to understand why, although they’re more expensive upfront, eco washing machines offer substantial long term savings on your eco home’s energy bills.

Eco dishwasher – Eco dishwashers use only around 12 litres of water per wash, which is less than what you’d probably use to fill your sink. The EST estimates that every eco home equipped with an eco dishwasher would produce 90 kg less carbon emissions per year and have enough energy for 170 extra washes. This makes them a very green and energy efficient eco kitchen appliance.

To maximise your eco house’s energy savings, only use your dishwasher for full loads. Running it for half a load uses the same amount of water and over half the amount of energy as a full one.

Eco cookers – The technology available for cooking food has advanced a lot in recent years, and particularly in the field of energy conservation. Eco cookers are now available that can cook food using electromagnetic waves. These cook the food directly without having to heat up a saucepan or the cooker’s top, reducing the energy consumed by this eco kitchen appliance.

Eco cookers can also be fitted with a triple glazed door to prevent heat loss, and lit with halogen bulbs so that food can be checked without having to open the door and release heat.

Eco fridges – After lighting, fridges and freezers make up the biggest proportion of our energy bills, at around 15%. However, there are now eco fridges available which can help to vastly reduce your bills and don’t produce damaging CFC gases (chlorofluorocarbons). In fact, modern fridges consume only a third of the energy of those used ten years ago.

It’s easy to check the energy savings credentials of eco fridges, and other eco kitchen appliances, as they all must now have an EU energy label. These are graded from G (the worst) up to A++ (the very best). You can also look out for the Energy Saving Trust’s distinctive blue ‘recommended’ label, which is only awarded to the very best environmentally friendly eco kitchen appliances for use in your eco home.