EIGHT supposedly "cheap" appliances could in fact be guzzling through your energy and adding £100s to your bills.
Which? is warning households against opting for budget devices which can be more costly in the long-term.
A study by the consumer group looked at eight appliances ranging from freezers to ovens and washing machines all costing under £500.
It found that despite the lower price tag on many, they also scored badly for energy efficiency and running costs were much higher when compared against other models.
It comes with energy bills for the average household standing at £1,834 under the current Ofgem price cap, compared to £1,277 in November 2021.
Of course, this is just the average cost and you could pay more or less depending on your usage.
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But it means families are battling higher costs and will want to do what they can to save money, like ditching energy-guzzling appliances.
Which?'s research first looked at the Hoover-HLEV10LG vented tumble dryer which costs just £279 but was the most expensive to run – £200 across the year.
It found the appliance costs over five times more than the most energy-efficient heat pump dryer and £50 more than the average vented tumble dryer.
Which? also tested similar tumble dryer models costing as little as £40 a year to run.
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Next, Which? tested the Hisense RB327N4WW1 fridge freezer which retails for around £399.
But the consumer champion found it costs £113.12 a year to run.
That's compared to the cost of the average freestanding model – £81 a year.
Which? also looked at the Cookworks Plastic Kettle 825/6344 which costs just £7 to buy and might seem like an energy-saving purchase.
But the consumer group found it costs over £50 a year to run, £27 more than the cost to run an average kettle.
Meanwhile, the most energy-efficient models cost just £8 a year to run – £42 less than the Cookworks kettle.
The Beko DIN15X20 dishwasher, retailing for £279, was found to cost £89 a year to run compared to the cheapest model which costs £46 a year.
Which? found the average running cost of a washing machine was £65 a year but the £499 Hotpoint H8 W946WB will set you back £86 a year to operate.
Another product that scored poorly for its energy efficiency was the Beko DIN15X20 dishwasher.
Retailing at £279, the appliance costs £89 to run, with the cheapest full-sized model tested by Which? costing around £55 a year to run.
Which? also found the Samsung NV7B41307AS built-in oven, retailing at £439, to cost £79 a year to run compared against the average of £64 a year.
Meanwhile, the Samsung UE43CU8000 sells for £369 but has a yearly running cost of £29 compared to the £25 average.
Consumers looking to buy a heater might not want to opt for the Dimplex 3kW Rugged Fan model – retailing at £79.
Which? found households using the device for four hours a day, seven days a week, for 20 weeks in winter would have to fork out a whopping £464 on their energy bills.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: "When buying a new household appliance, don’t be fooled by a low price point as this can mask bigger costs in the long run.
"Which?’s robust testing goes further by including energy efficiency ratings so customers have a much clearer idea of the true cost of the product they’re buying.
"When looking to buy a new appliance you can check the Which? website for our recommended Eco Buys and tips on how to cut your energy costs generally."
It's worth bearing in mind, you can work out how much any appliance costs to run by using a simple formula:
Cost = power (in kWh) × time (in hours) × price of 1 kilowatt on your energy tariff
Most retailers have devices' wattage on their product pages which you can use for the formula.
You can then take this figure and compare it against another appliance to see how much more or less you might pay buying it.
What did suppliers say?
Adam Norris, senior product manager cleaning for Beko said: "“At Beko we pride ourselves on providing affordable, energy-efficient dishwashers at a range of price points to ensure we meet consumer demand."
A spokesperson for Hisense said: “The RB327N4WW1 referenced is one of our older models which launched back in 2019 and the figure quoted by Which? is higher than the running costs for this model stated elsewhere.
"Given the new EU regulations, all F Rated products are being removed from the market, and this will be replaced with the E Rated RB327N4WWE.”
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Whirlpool declined to comment on Which?’s findings on the Hotpoint H8 W946WB washing machine.
Argos, Dimplex, Hoover and Samsung did not respond to requests for comment.
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
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