Save £100s by taking a closer look at energy efficiency labels while shopping

Householdscan save £100s on their fuel bills just by choosing energy efficient appliances for their home. The advice comes after a recent report by uSwitch suggested that 1 in 3 people don’t know what to look for on their energy labels.

Part of the reason for the confusion is that new labels came in back in 2020 and yet some shops are still using the old ones. The old labels measured appliances from A+++ to D with a range of A++, A+, A, B, C and D in between, however the new labels have simplified the scale, as per uSwitch.

A to G

The new scale has done away with all the multiple A pluses and is simply now A to G, where A is the most energy efficient. There are also icons now telling you how long each use the appliance takes and, in the case of things like dishwashers, what the noise output is and how much water it uses.

The labels have stopped telling you how many kilowatts per hour appliances uses over a year but now say how many they uses per 100 uses. Using these figures it’s much easier to work out how much a single use will cost and how it will impact your monthly bills.

In one example, a single brand selling two different fridge-freezers, one A-rated and one F-rated are sold at the same price. However, the F-rated appliance would cost £97.92 a year to run compared to only £36.72 for the A rated - a clear indication of how important checking the label is, as per The Sun.

How to save money

When buying an appliance obviously try and find an A-rated one and remember to factor in delivery and installation costs to ensure you get the best deal. In some cases it’s better to arrange your own delivery if the appliance is easy to install and you are able to do it yourself.

When it comes to using appliances, here are several simple changes you can make to slash you energy bills, as per The Sun:

• Swapping your oven and hob for an air fryer, microwave and toaster could save £750 a year.
• Halve your shower time to save £9.18 a month if you have an electric shower.
• Reducing your dishwasher use from daily to three times per week can save £40.32 a year.
• The same change with your washing machine can save £67.68 a year.
• Reduce your television time or even consider using tablets instead.

Sources used:

- The Sun 'BRIGHT SPARK: The labels you need to look out for to save £100s on energy bills when buying appliances – do you know what they mean?'

- uSwitch 'Energy efficiency labels explained'