Buying better products
Many brands now produce electrical items that reduce the impact on the environment. Take a look below at a few great examples.
What are better products?
Some products are designed to reduce their overall environmental impact. These products are usually more than just energy efficient - they're designed to last longer, or be cleaned, repaired, upgraded or recycled more easily.
Repair and re-use
There are some great examples of manufacturers providing clear information on repair and reuse of products, and designing them for simple repair, for example Dyson.
Longer lasting products
Our research shows that householders like many products to last a long time, but that over a quarter of washing machines, fridges and vacuum cleaners don't last as long as owners expect them to.
If you're investing your hard-earned cash on a new appliance for your home, try to work out how long you want it to last - and whether you will get value for money from it. Manufacturer guarantees can help you work out how long the product can last - so when you're shopping around, see how long the manufacturer's free guarantee is.
Examples of products with long guarantees include:
- Dyson, Sebo and Vax vacuum cleaners - all offer 5 and 6-year guarantees
- ISE appliances and Miele offer appliances designed for a longer lifetime, with 10-year guarantees available on some products.
Helpful resources
- To find out more about how easy it might be to repair the product you're about to purchase, you could try repairers - for example UK Whitegoods.
- Further information on the most energy-efficient products on the UK market is available at Top 10 Energy Efficiency Guide.
How can I repair products or get them repaired?
Depending on where you live, there may be local repair workshops available. One example is The Restart Project, which organises community repair parties to help people use their electronics for longer.
General information on how to repair products is available online from organisations like UK Whitegoods and iFixit.
How do these 'better' products have a lower environmental impact?
- They are made to last longer.
- They can be repaired easily, either without tools or with simple common tools.
- They use recycled materials like plastics and metal.
- They reduce the energy they use.
- They adjust the energy they use to suit different tasks.
- They contain fewer harmful chemicals.