A complete guide to the best energy efficient appliances for your home (original) (raw)

Best energy efficient ovens

Winner

Miele H 2861 BP Stainless steel/Clean Steel

Score: 94/100

Energy consumption over an hour: 0.78kwh

Cost to run per hour: £0.17

Energy rating: A+

Miele’s 71-litre capacity oven achieved a perfect score for ease of use in the GHI lab, allowing our testers to slide trays easily in and out of the oven, adjust settings, and apply a safety lock.

The oven also boasts an eco-fan setting, which is perfect if you want to keep an eye on your energy consumption. However, even on the normal fan setting, the oven was energy efficient, only costing us approximately 17 pence an hour.

Key specifications

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Best value

Indesit Aria Electric Multifunction Pyrolytic Single Oven

Score: 81/100

**Energy consumption with the fan on: 0.67kWh

**Cost to run in testing: £0.15

**Energy rating: A+

Ideal for everyday cooks, this 71-litre oven was the cheapest baker on test, using just 19 pence of electricity to make a perfectly risen cake Unsurprisingly given its price, it’s not the most advanced oven we tested, but it still boasts plenty of handy functions including an automatic Turn&Go feature that sets the cooking time and temperature for you, a pyrolytic cleaning function, which removes the need for serious scrubbing, and clear back-lights for keeping an eye on your creations.

Our testers found it slow to pre-heat, so that’s something to keep in mind for speedy mid-week meals, but a little forward planning will sort that niggle right out.

Key specifications

Best energy efficient dishwashers

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Winner

Miele G7460 SCVi Integrated Dishwasher

Score: 93/100

Average energy consumption in testing: 0.94 kWh

Cost: £0.21

Energy rating: A

Our top-scoring dishwasher is also the most energy efficient on average of all the models we've tested. And if you pop it on an economy cycle, that cuts its running cost to around 16p. Just note that if you’re dealing with particularly dirty dishes, our testers found the economy programme was marginally less effective at lifting stains than its top-scoring normal and intensive washes.

But overall, this integrated model impressed our expert with its easy-to-use interface, smart capabilities and adjustable lower rack.

Best value

Hotpoint H8I HP42 L UK Full Size Integrated Dishwasher

Score: 84/100

Average energy consumption in testing: 1.18 kWh

Cost: £0.26

Energy rating: C

While this dishwasher has a C rating instead of an A like the Miele above, it has a lower upfront cost, so you can still save on your bills without having to splash the cash. And the economy cycle is only slightly costlier to use than our best buy, at 20 pence a wash.

Although there were some specks of food left on our dishes in testing (porridge, of course), most came out clean on every cycle we tried. Plus, our testers loved the spacious design, which holds 14 place settings in its three drawers, and the smart sensor that adjusts cycle lengths depending on how dirty your dishes are.

Key specifications

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Best energy efficient washing machines

Joint winner

AEG 7000 LFR71864B Freestanding Washing Machine

Score: 87/100

Average energy consumption in testing: 0.71 kWh

Cost: £0.16

Energy rating: A

Our testers found plenty to love about with this great all-rounder. From its clear digital display and easy-to-use programme dial, to its outstanding stain removal and impressive spin efficiency, there’s not much we didn’t like about this washing machine.

Its quick cycle used just an average of 0.19 kWh, working out at six pence for each load of washing. It was economical with water too, so it will help manage costs across the board.

Key specifications

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Joint winner

ASKO W2086CWUK1 8kg 1600 Spin Washing Machine

Score: 87/100

Average energy consumption in testing: 0.495 kWh

Cost: £0.11

**Energy rating: B

This premium washing machine has a sleek design with a clear LCD display that lets you customise programmes and even save your personal favourites, so it's easy to access them every time you do the laundry.

It washed well, removing most stains effectively (although grass, mud and makeup may need an extra dose of stain remover). It was also quiet in use – helpful for those work from home days – and one of the cheapest models to run in testing, using just 14 pence of electricity on average. All in all, an impressive appliance.

Key specifications

Best value

Russell Hobbs reestanding Washing Machine

Score: 81/100

**Average energy consumption in testing: 0.51 kWh

**Cost: £0.11

**Energy rating: A

With the same high rating as our AEG winner, you don’t have to compromise on efficiency or price with this Russell Hobbs washing machine. It has a clear and intuitive design, and our testers praised the machine for its top-quality stain removal too.

There are some niggles such as having a smaller door than other models (meaning loading can be tricky), but it makes up for it with its electricity usage, costing an average of just 15p across our lab tests.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Best energy efficient tumble dryers

Winner

ASKO T608HX.S Freestanding Anticrease Heat Pump Dryer

Score: 94/100

**Average energy consumption in testing: 0.45 kWh

**Cost: £0.09

**Energy rating: A+++

This premium heat pump tumble dryer has 18 different programmes, lets you customise and save unique cycles, and put in an outstanding performance in our tests. While it has a slightly smaller drum capacity than some other models, its energy efficiency rating is impressive and was particularly economical when drying cotton loads.

The initial price tag is high, but it delivers perfectly dry and beautifully crease-free laundry that will save you plenty of hassle– and energy – in the long-run.

Key specifications

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Best value

Indesit YTM1182XUK 8Kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer

Score: 87/100

**Average energy consumption in testing: 0.5 kWh

**Cost: £0.11

**Energy rating: A++

Our testers were impressed with this great value heat pump tumble dryer, which is less than a quarter of the price of our winner. It doesn’t quite match the energy efficiency levels of the ASKO model, but it still has a highly recommended A++ rating and costs about 62 pence per full capacity load.

It dried our laundry quickly and effectively, and our testers found it easy to use from start to finish.

Key specifications

Best energy efficient washer dryers

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

LG WashTower

Score: 92/100

Average energy consumption for wash and dry cycle: 0.4 kWh

Cost to run: £0.09

Energy rating: Washer A/Dryer A+++

Instead of a typical washer dryer, LG’s WashTower provides the option to use the washing machine and dryer functions separately, while being neatly stacked on top of each other in one appliance to help save space in your home.

In the lab, a combined cotton cycle used 0.4kWh and finished in under an hour, so it only cost us nine pence to run. You’ll have to manually move your laundry between the two, but we don’t think that’s too much to ask for what is a savvy buy.

Key specifications

Best energy efficient fridge freezers

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Winner

Bosch Series 6 KGN39AIAT Freestanding 70/30 Fridge Freezer

Score: 85/100

**Average energy consumption in testing over 24 hours: 0.5 kWh

**Cost per day: £0.11

**Energy rating: A

With its A rating, this Bosch fridge freezer is the only model the GHI has rated for performance and recommends for energy efficiency. In the lab, it worked out at an average of 15p to run each day.

It maintained a steady temperature throughout testing, and recovered quickly when we left the doors open, although the freezer took longer than the fridge to get back to temperature. Our testers loved its versatile design, which features adjustable shelving so you can customise the space to suit your groceries. It even has a wine rack.

Key specifications

The GHI also recommends...

The following energy efficient appliances are also GHI Approved for performance and energy efficiency. While they didn’t make it into our round-up of the very best performing appliances, we think they deserve an honourable mention for their energy efficiency.

The 77-litre capacity Hisense BSA66346PDBGUK oven ticked a lot of boxes on test, earning an impressive runner-up position in our oven round-up. It took just three minutes to pre-heat, has an A+ energy rating and cost just 15 pence to run for two hours while we baked a delicious cake.

Of all the washing machines we’ve tested, the Fisher & Paykel Freestanding Washing Machine (83/100) used the least energy across all the cycles and therefore, was the cheapest to run in our lab. Using an average of 0.43 kWh and costing just 12p across all the tests, our experts were suitably impressed.

Another model our testers flagged is the Haier I-Pro Series 7 (77/100), which had a particularly energy efficient quick wash cycle, using only 0.02 kWh and costing less than 1p a wash. Just note, however, that the other cycles are less efficient and that the average usage across all the cycles was 0.66 kWh (which would cost 19p).

When it comes to tumble dryers, it’s the Haier I Pro Series 7 Plus 9kg Dryer (88/100) that comes out on top. Costing an average of just 4p for a full 9kg load, this model would be a good investment if you like to put all your laundry through the tumble dryer.

Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market. When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her cooking, running and exploring London’s foodie hotspots – or trying to make friends with every dog she passes. Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall and on X @megan_geall

Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.