Buying guides for 30 everyday appliances

Choosing a tumble dryer for your home

Start with the capacity, dimensions and installation requirements you need. Compare exact models with equivalent capacity and the same energy-label basis. A lower kWh figure for a smaller load does not tell you which appliance will cost less for your household.

Find the model’s product information sheet. If consumption is shown per 100 cycles, divide it by 100 to get the label’s per-cycle figure. Multiply by your expected loads per year, then by your electricity unit rate. A label test programme is a defined scenario; other programmes and actual loads can use different amounts.

For example, an assumed 1.5 kWh cycle at 3 loads per week uses about 234.6 kWh a year (1.5 × 3 × 365 ÷ 7). At a user-entered 25p/kWh, that is about £58.66 annually. This is arithmetic using example inputs, not a measured claim about a particular dryer.

Check the retailer’s final price, delivery, installation, warranty and return terms. Compare the upfront price with running costs before making a choice.

Understanding appliance energy labels

Look for the unit next to the consumption figure. A fridge label’s annual kWh and a washing machine label’s kWh per 100 cycles cannot be compared directly. Label schemes also vary by appliance type and jurisdiction. Check the exact model’s current information sheet rather than relying on a rating letter alone.

Our energy-label calculator supports annual, per-cycle and per-100-cycle figures. It converts the input into an annual electricity estimate using your usage assumptions. Water consumption, noise, programme duration and capacity can also matter; a running-cost estimate does not assess all of these.

Source: UK Government guidance on energy labelling. Refer to the manufacturer’s label for exact model data.

Should you replace a working appliance?

Calculate the annual electricity difference first. If an existing appliance uses an assumed 500 kWh/year and a replacement uses 300 kWh/year, at 25p/kWh the electricity saving is £50/year. An extra £300 upfront would take six years to recover through electricity savings alone.

This simple calculation excludes financing, repairs, disposal, embodied impacts and future electricity prices. If electricity savings are zero or negative there is no positive electricity payback. An efficient label alone is not a recommendation to replace a working appliance.