• Cooling and Laundry Appliances

Cooling and Laundry appliances carry energy symbols, which give you guidance on their energy efficiency and performance. When buying an electrical appliance, choosing an energy efficient one makes sense for your pocket and the environment.

If a product is A rated, it will use the least amount of electricity and is therefore more energy efficient. If a product is G rated, it will use the most electricity and is therefore the least energy efficient.

• Washing machines - what to look for
  • Energy efficiency
  • Spin speed - a higher spin speed reduces drying time. A variable spin speed allows you to select the spin speed to suit each wash.
  • Wash performance - 'A' rated wash performance is awarded to machines which give the best wash results.
  • Wash programmes - All washing machines include a number of programmes designed to help you get the most from your washing machine. Choose the one which most suits your lifestyle.

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• Dishwashers - what to look for
  • Energy efficiency
  • Size - Standard dishwashers are 60cm wide & wash up to 12 place settings. When space is limited choose a slimline dishwasher. At 45cm wide they still wash up to 8 place settings.
  • Drying performance - 'A' rated drying efficiency dishwashers leave the least moisture on your dishes.
  • Wash programmes - Look for a quick wash option to save time, half load to wash a small load more economically or an intensive wash for baked on grime. Choose time delay and wash your dishes at any time - day or night.

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• Fridges and Freezers- what to look for
  • Energy efficiency
  • Size - The capacity of fridges and freezers is measured in cubic feet. For family sized storage, choose over 8 cubic feet of storage.

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• Cookers- what to look for
  • Oven size - Single ovens are ideal for basic cooking as they combine a grill in the oven. If you want to grill and use the oven at the same time choose either an oven with a separate grill or a double oven. Double ovens offer the flexibility of a main oven and a separate, smaller oven with an integral grill.
  • Gas hob - Gas hobs give instant heat and are easy to control.
  • Standard electric hobs - Four hotplates, usually of different sizes allow you to cook efficiently with different size pots and pans. Look out for rapid hotplates which reach full heat quicker, these have a red dot in the centre of the hotplate.
  • Ceramic electric hobs - Faster to heat and easy to clean, ceramic hobs are proving more popular as an alternative to the standard hobs.
  • Dual fuel - The ultimate combination of a gas hob with an electric oven ensures the best cooking experience.
  • Conventional oven - Offers different temperature zones, hotter at the top, cooler at the bottom, so dishes requiring different temperatures can be cooked at the same time.
  • Fan ovens - Fan ovens cook food quickly and avoid the need to pre-heat your oven.

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Article by: Argos