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‘Eco-efficient’ domestic appliances
Green means
good business
Although an increasing number of people and businesses have embraced the
environmental agenda, a lot of education is still required to convince some consumers
to part with cash now in order to make future savings. Anna Ryland reports.
There will always be two types of efficient appliance when updating their machine with a full load as much as
consumers. “Firstly, there are dedicated kitchen. possible, 75% were using low temperature
green consumers, environmentally The current recession has helped the programmes in the washing machine,
conscious shoppers, who have proven that green cause. “The economic downturn 62% were buying more fresh food rather
they will remain green during hard times – combined with rising fuel bills has made than buying precooked/ready-to-eat
even if it means paying a little bit more. Then consumers much more savvy when it meals, 42% were using the dishwasher
there is the average cash-strapped comes to realising the benefits of choosing with full load only and 43% were using
consumer for whom saving cash is king. For energy efficient products,” comments Rita less washing detergent. So people are
these individuals going green is a bonus, but Balestrazzi, marketing manager at looking to use less resource in the home.
saving money and lowering their household Baumatic UK.
running costs will always be the deal- The economic factors are also changing The market evidence
breaker,” explains Jonathan Casley, sales people’s domestic habits. Whirlpool The market statistics clearly reflect these
and marketing director, Glen Dimplex Home Europe’s research shows that 75% of UK changes. “Of the 2.1m fridges and fridge
Appliances. households have now changed the way freezers sold in the twelve months to
Yet, recent research into consumer they shop. A third of shoppers have October 2009, 94% were rated as A or
attitudes conducted by two leading reduced the frequency of shopping trips, above, and this has increased from 63%
electrical brands in the UK, Whirlpool and buying food less often than in the past, back in 2004. The A+ and A++ extensions
Glen Dimplex Home Appliances Group, with 29% now shopping less than once a reflect the fact that manufacturers recognise
shows that the tide is turning in favour of week. 59% of UK shoppers (the highest the need for the modern refrigerator to be
the environment. Over half of British in the European survey) say the majority of less energy-guzzling. For appliances that
consumers (56% in the GDHA survey and food they buy is fresh. have several integral functions that can
57% in the Whirlpool Europe research) The survey also revealed that 81% of boost energy usage, multi-faceted energy
would now look for an energy and water respondents were using their washing labels are required. Washing machines are
28 TheIndependentElectricalRetailer February 2010
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