comment: Paul Hide Selling sustainability


As we head into the darker and colder winter months, we all face the unwelcome prospect of rising household energy bills, says Paul Hide, AMDEA chief executive


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verage household energy bills were less than £800 per annum in 2021


against circa £2,000 now, and with the withdrawal of the £400 Government rebate scheme, most of us will be paying very similar total winter energy costs as we did last year. It is with these household cost pressures in mind that AMDEA launched phase three of our Know Watt’s What campaign last month. Under the banner of “The Power of


Knowledge” we’re reminding all householders as to how simple changes to the way they use their home appliances can save money, benefi t the environment and extend the life of appliances through simple care and maintenance tips. AMDEA’s Know Watt’s What website advocates


four routes to save money: ¡ Use to save – use installed tech, such as eco- mode on washing appliances or smaller cooking appliances such as microwaves to cook smaller quantities; ¡ Maintain to save – look after machines to prolong effi cient performance and lifespan; ¡ Repair to save – consider repairs before replacement; and ¡ Replace to save – replace wisely by buying appliances that are the highest aff ordable on the rating scale and consider replacing fridges and freezers over 15 years old. By always washing clothes and dishes on the


eco-cycle, £80 can be saved each year, while £60 can be saved by cooking food in the microwave rather than the oven. Taken together, this conserves almost enough electricity to power a washing machine on eco-mode for two whole years. Other small maintenance tasks, such as descaling the kettle, can help maintain effi ciency and extend appliance lifespan. You can check out all AMDEA’s support


information via our website. We’ve prepared asset packs for retailers, as we encourage all industry and consumer-facing organisations to spread the message on effi cient appliance use A new YouGov survey underlined that people


are keen to save energy to help achieve Net Zero and reduce their carbon footprint, with more than two-thirds (68%) saying they would do this even if energy prices went down. However, the survey found that two-fi fths


10 | www.ierdaily.co.uk


(40%) had made no changes to the way they used their appliances to save money since September last year, when electricity prices hit an all-time high. Even though adopting ways to save money and energy in the use of home appliances was found to be successful, according to 57% who did make changes. Only 53% of respondents who made changes


over the past year had used the eco-setting on their washing machine, and 32% on their dishwasher. As regards a little TLC to keep their appliances


ticking over effi ciently, an amazing 24% of UK adults said they never ran a service wash on their washing machine, 18% never cleaned its fi lter, 20% never descaled their appliances that come into contact with water and 17% never defrosted the fridge and cleaned the door seals. Our role, that of our members and you as the


customer’s most common fi rst point of contact is to encourage maximum useful appliance life, through increasing awareness of how regular maintenance, occasional servicing and use of repair options can keep appliances going for longer, so either the existing user gains additional life, or these appliances fulfi l a demand for those that welcome the opportunity to purchase second hand refurbished appliances.


Of course, many


manufacturers and retailers are concerned that a circular economy is likely to temper


the overall sales volumes of new appliances, and that is a possible outcome of a changing world. However, business model change does not mean revenue of margin decline. Our expectation is that we will see growth in the revenue gained from serving, repair and refurbishment and that can off set revenue declines should overall new sales slow. We’ve a way to go yet and today is an


opportunity for us to take stock of the progress delivered. I share the confi dence of many that we will get to a carbon neutral industry and net zero homes by 2050, in some cases well before then. There is much to be hopeful about. We all


have a role and responsibility to ensure this happens, so let’s work together to deliver a more sustainable appliance future.


Winter 2023/24


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