Beware cheap appliances that cost you twice as much in the long run
That new TV or fridge freezer might look like a bargain and have a price tag that's hundreds of pounds less than rivals, but if it costs twice or even three times as much to use, then you’ll be out of pocket in the long run.
Our in-depth lab testing enables us to accurately measure energy usage for a wide range of products, including dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers, and we see dramatic differences in terms of how much energy they use.
You’ll see plenty of retailers promising huge bargains – but check our reviews first to see the yearly and lifetime running costs and compare models. We’ve pulled out some of the worst offenders below.
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Fan heater
You might be tempted by the Dimplex 3kW Rugged Fan Heater now that the temperature has dropped. But this fan heater costs 74p per hour to run, which means if you used it for four hours every day from November to February (20 weeks) it would cost you £414.40 in running costs. In comparison, the fan heater with the cheapest running costs in our test would increase your bills by £274.4.
We generally advise using electric heaters for short bursts of time, which is why we publish an hourly calculation of energy use, rather than yearly.
Hot water bottle or electric blanket – what’s the best and cheapest way to keep warm in bed?
Washing machine
Although the Hotpoint H8 W946WB washing machine has an A energy rating, in our tests it proved to be far from energy-efficient. Compared to most 9kg-capacity washing machines, the cottons 40°C wash cycle consumes approximately 35% more energy. While the average running cost per year for washing machines stands at £59 and the cheapest we've tested comes in at £31, this Hotpoint costs £77.24 to run.
Not only is it wasteful with energy, but it’s also excessive in its water consumption. The cottons wash cycle goes through a total of 116 litres – that's nearly enough water to fill an entire bath. So although at £499 it’s reasonably-priced, the usage costs could soon add up.
Washer-dryer or washing machine and tumble dryer: which is more cost-effective?
Dishwasher
Dishwashers are supposed to leave plates spotless, but the Beko DIN15X20 dishwasher unfortunately fell short. Although it costs just £279, in our tests it left behind stubborn specks of dried food on dishes and the harder-to-reach nooks of some glasses, which means you may have to run the cycle more than once to get your crockery clean.
This isn’t ideal, especially as when we delve into the cost of using the main dishwasher program, the figures were a let-down. Running the main program five times per week for a year would result in an annual cost of £79.63, surpassing the average of £69. The cheapest full-sized dishwasher we’ve tested costs around £40 per year.
Read our dishwasher energy-saving tips and take a look at our latest Eco Buy dishwashers
Tumble dryer
Tumble dryers offer a reliable and swift solution for drying large amounts of laundry. However, many of these appliances come with a hefty cost in terms of energy usage. Take the Hoover HLEV10LG vented tumble dryer, for instance. While it’s priced at a pretty reasonable £305, its annual running cost was nearly £200, making it the costliest choice compared to all others we’ve tested.
The average annual running cost for condenser tumble dryers costs £127 annually. But if you want to save on your electricity bills, go for an energy-efficient heat pump tumble dryer, which costs £51 on average a year to run.
Take a look at the most energy-efficient tumble dryers from our testing
Fridge freezer
Among our tested fridge freezers, the Hisense RB327N4WW1 fridge freezer stands out as one of the worst performers. Its £379 price tag may be appealing, but it has an annual running cost of £101.33, well above the average of £75 per year for a freestanding model. We’ve tested models costing as little as £41 annually to run.
There are different types of fridge freezers and your energy costs will vary according to type. On average, a freestanding fridge freezer costs around £75 per year to run, while a large American-style fridge freezer costs over £108 – that's over 40% more, so if you definitely want one, be sure to pick an energy-efficient model.
Find out how to choose an energy-efficient fridge freezer or use our fridge freezer running costs tool to look up a specific model
Built-in oven
The recently reviewed Samsung NV7B41307AS built-in oven received a disappointing one out of five stars in energy efficiency in our tests. Despite its £429 price tag, this oven carries the highest annual running cost among those tested, about £71.19. We’ve found more cost-effective ovens, some as low as £47 per year, although the average is £58.
If you find yourself using your oven nearly every day, you must also account for the additional costs associated with preheating, so an inefficient oven could end up adding a lot to your overall energy expenses.
Visit our oven running costs tool to see how much your oven costs to run annually as well as the lifetime cost
Kettle
When it comes to kettles, you can splurge on premium models costing over £100 that have extra features like variable temperature settings. On the other hand, you can go for a no-frills own-brand kettle for around a tenner. Both types can be equally as good at delivering a cuppa.
You might assume they all cost the same to run, however, looks can be deceiving. The Argos Cookworks Plastic Kettle 825/6344 has a budget-friendly £12 price tag, but it also has a surprisingly high annual running cost of over £40. Though a little pricier, more energy-efficient models are available, as low as £23 a year to run.
Looking for an energy-efficient kettle? Head to best energy-saving kettles
TVs
We’ve tested thousands of televisions over the years. Obviously, screen size plays a large part in terms of how much energy they use, and a large 65-inch TV will cost much more than a 32-inch.
Some 43-inch 4K TVs we’ve tested cost more than £1,000, but the Samsung UE43CU8000 comes in at £343. Admittedly that’s an attractive price, but in our tests, it gets just two stars out of five for energy use and has an annual running cost of £26.44. That’s not a huge amount of money, but it’s higher than the average yearly running cost for a TV this size and some TVs can cost less than £11 to run over the course of the year.
How much does it really cost to leave your tech on standby? We’ve crunched the numbers
What are Eco Buys?
Whether your priority is making more environmentally friendly choices or spending less on running your appliances, our Eco Buys are among the most sustainable and energy efficient we’ve tested.
From dishwashers to fridge-freezers, Eco Buy appliances have a lower environmental impact over their lifespan compared to rivals. This could be due to energy usage, a design that’s easy to repair or a brand with a proven reliability record so it’s more likely to last a long time.
One of these Eco Buys is the Asda George Home GDK101B-22, which is also a Best Buy and a Great Value recommendation. It costs £28.89 to run yearly and has speedy boiling and low-minimum fill.
Another example is the Best Buy Bosch SPS4HMW53G slimline dishwasher with a relatively low annual running cost of £49.62. It’s water-efficient too, using only nine litres to wash a whole load, which is a few litres less than most tested dishwashers. Or the Samsung WW80T554DAW/S1 washing machine which is a Which? Eco Buy and costs £48.66 to run per year.
An appliance that doesn’t work well or breaks easily will need to be replaced more quickly, costing more money and adding to landfill, so it makes sense to choose wisely.
To learn more about our Eco Buy recommendations, take a look at choosing a Which? Eco Buy
How we calculate costs
Running costs assume an electricity cost of 24.5p per kWh. On 1 April 2024 the energy price cap will drop by 12.3%. The new average price of a single unit of electricity will be 24.5p per kWh.
For our calculations, we presume you’re paying the average rate for electricity as set by Ofgem. To determine how much they cost over a year, we use an example scenario of how often each appliance is used by the average household. So, if you use your appliances particularly often or irregularly, you’ll need to scale our numbers up or down. Please note that the average running cost of these appliances depends on individual usage.
Note the average running costs were based on this running cost investigation which was published in August 2023 so figures may be subject to change.
Prices from April 2024, based on the products live on our website at the time of publication.
