Eco kitchen appliances reduce energy usage

(Miele)

New eco cooking hoods are the latest energy-saving kitchen appliance to be released for the household market.

German household appliance firm Miele launched a line of energy-saving cooker or range hoods on September 18; the company estimated that the new DA 6390 model could reduce energy consumption by up to 70 percent compared to conventional appliances.

The cooker hood reduces electricity consumption by using an efficient DC motor, a power management system and a link to the mains utility switch which allows the unit to be completely disconnected from the mains supply - rather than remaining in standby mode. Energy-efficient LED down lighting is also included. The price of the unit varies depending upon size and the package.

Other energy-saving kitchen appliances include GE's Energy Star-rated range of refrigerators which retail for upwards of €1000 ($1300),and Indesit's new, soon to be released, 'smart' washing machine which does the laundry when the price and demand for electricity is at the lowest.

Energy-saving appliances are becoming increasingly important in the battle against climate change - it is estimated that people throughout the developed world could reduce their energy consumption by up to 30 percent without altering their behavior simply by buying an energy-efficient appliance.