We’ve added Eco Buys – our environmentally friendly appliance recommendation – to our reviews of fridges, fridge freezers, built-in ovens and tumble dryers. It follows the November 2020 launch of Eco Buys for washing machines and dishwashers.
Only the most energy efficient products, from brands with appliances proven to last, earn our Eco Buy recommendations. And while they save energy, they’ll save you money too. Choosing an Eco Buy fridge freezer could save you as much as £130 per year on your energy bills. For tumble dryers, the difference can be as much as £95 a year.
You don’t have to spend over the odds to get an Eco Buy and unlock these long-term savings, either. The cheapest Eco Buy oven is just £179, while the cheapest Eco Buy fridge-freezer is £471.
Read on to find out exactly what makes an Eco Buy and to see examples of Eco Buy fridges, fridge freezers, ovens and dryers.
Or head to our fridge reviews, fridge freezer reviews, built-in oven reviews and tumble dryer reviews to see all of our Eco Buy recommendations.
What’s an Eco Buy?
Eco Buy recommendations are based on what Which? members told us mattered most when making a sustainable product-buying decision. Longevity, energy use and repairability were the three most important factors.
To earn our Eco Buy recommendation, a product must excel at core Which? tests and meet some or all of the following criteria:
- made by a brand with a proven track record for long-lasting products
- efficient with energy and water
- easily repairable.
Eco Buy fridges and fridge-freezers
Fridges and fridge freezers are on 24/7, so it’s no surprise that the difference in how much energy they use can vary wildly.
The most energy-hungry fridge freezer costs £163 a year to run. The average Eco Buy costs just £42 a year, a quarter of the amount.
Out of the 388 fridge freezers and 72 fridges we have currently reviewed, just seven fridge freezers and 11 fridges are Eco Buys. These include:
Hotpoint SH61QW1 – £328
This tall and spacious fridge won’t only give you plenty of room to keep your groceries fresh but will save you money too.
It costs just £21 a year to run, making it among the most energy efficient available and potentially saving you more than £20 a year compared with the most energy-hungry fridges.
Find out if it can keep a stable temperature and is easy to stock up by reading our full Hotpoint SH61QW1 review. Or buy it straight away from AO.com.
Liebherr CNEL4713 – £471
This cheap fridge freezer costs £41 a year to run. This may sound like a lot, but it’s £15 less than the average and significantly cheaper than the least efficient.
But there’s no point in being efficient if it doesn’t keep your food fresh, thereby causing unnecessary food waste.
That’s why Eco Buy fridge freezers have to get at least four stars out of five for cooling and freezing, so you can be confident that it’s not only cheap to run but also a great fridge-freezer in general.
Read our full Liebherr CNEL4713 review to find out how well it did in our tough temperature stability tests. Or buy it straight away from Appliances Direct.
For all Eco Buys, head to our fridge freezer reviews and fridge reviews.
Eco Buy built-in ovens
Built-in ovens are one of the longest-lasting products in our regular consumer surveys. On average, they last 27 years before needing to be replaced due to a fault.
You’ll want to make sure, then, that you buy an energy efficient model, as the savings will add up over the decades.
Gas ovens cannot be Eco Buys, as they directly use fossil fuels.
Just 29 out of the 227 ovens we have currently reviewed are good enough to be Eco Buys. These 29 include these two green superstars:
Beko AeroPerfect BBXIF22100S – £179
Proof that you don’t have to pay much to get not just a fantastic oven but a sustainable one, too.
It will save you money too, as Eco Buys use energy more efficiently.
The cherry on top is that it performs well in the most important cooking test: heat distribution. You can be confident your cakes will brown evenly and your meals will be consistently cooked through
Find out if it heats up quickly and is easy to use in our full Beko AeroPerfect BBXIF22100S review. Or check it out on Currys PC World.
Blomberg ODN9302X – £530
Double ovens are typically more expensive, giving you the freedom to cook at two temperatures or to grill while you’re baking or roasting. But this Blomberg is cheaper than most
With a full five stars out of five for energy efficiency, it doesn’t cost the earth to run either – meaning you can tuck in without feeling guilty.
Find out if it can evenly bake a cake and grill in our full Blomberg ODN9302X review. Or buy it straight way from Euronics or Marks Electrics.
For all our Eco Buy ovens, head to our built-in oven reviews.
Eco Buy tumble dryers
While tumble dryers aren’t a necessity quite like ovens and fridges are, many of us can’t do without one.
Our research has shown that heat-pump dryers are twice as efficient as condenser or vented models, saving you £59 a year on average.
But not all heat-pump dryers are created equal. Some take an age to dry clothes and a few will do a poor all-round drying job.
Eco Buy dryers are fantastically energy efficient and also do a good job of drying clothes. Out of the 127 dryers we currently have reviews for, 33 are Eco Buys. These include:
Samsung DV80TA020AE/EU – £599
Heat pump dryers don’t come cheap, we admit that. But with the energy savings you’ll make with this Samsung, it pays for itself in 10 years.
Drying three loads a week would add about £30 to your annual energy bills, meaning it’s efficient even for a heat-pump model. And compared with an energy-guzzling condenser dryer, it will save you £60 on average.
Find out if it can dry your clothes perfectly and quickly in our full Samsung DV80TA020AE/EU review. Or buy straight away from Currys PC World.
AEG T7DBK841N – £649
Many heat-pump models take their sweet time, but this fantastic AEG dries in a jiffy, taking just over two hours for a full load.
And it won’t drive your energy bills up, costing around £41 per year to dry three loads a week.
Read our full AEG T7DBK841N review to find out if it leaves everything evenly dried and ready to be stored away. Or buy it from John Lewis.
For all our Eco Buy dryers, head to our tumble dryer reviews.
