New German study has exposed the myth that newly purchased household appliances protect the climate and save money due to their higher energy efficiency

It makes more sense for your wallet and the climate to continue using and repairing older household appliances. This is according to a study commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency. Stefan Krempl discusses the findings of the report in an article on the heise online website.

Energy efficiency: buying new household appliances is hardly worth it anymore

A new study carried out by the Freiburg-based Öko-Institut on behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) has exposed the myth that newly purchased household appliances protect the climate and save money due to their higher energy efficiency. “Statements on the ecological and economic sense of premature replacement” can therefore “not be made across the board”. Rather, it “depends on a device-specific and holistic view”. This indicates that it often makes more financial and environmental sense in many respects to continue using older household appliances and to repair them if necessary. Only in the case of very frequent use and very inefficient appliances could it make sense to replace them.

According to the study, the researchers not only considered the energy consumption of the appliances during use, but also that for the production, transportation and distribution of the new “white goods” or for the disposal of the old ones. They also included the environmental impact of the entire production and disposal chain, together with individual framework conditions such as the intensity of use. The team also considered the fact that the share of renewable energies in electricity generation will continue to increase in the coming years. This would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in particular.

The ecological experts analyzed refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and tumble dryers. To make a scientifically sound comparison between existing and new appliances, they aimed to achieve the same functionalities as far as possible. However, this equivalence principle could not be strictly adhered to in some cases “due to technical progress and a differentiation of functional features”.

Fridge-freezer from 1995 can go

According to the study, replacing a functioning fridge-freezer is worthwhile from an ecological perspective from an annual electricity consumption of more than 340 kWh. According to an analysis published at the beginning of 2022 by a measurement technician for the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center, this corresponds to an average appliance from 1995. The electricity consumption of refrigerators with a freezer compartment has therefore fallen continuously over the past 30 years. In 1990, for example, an average combi still consumed 412 kWh/year. The average consumption of new appliances in 2020 was only around 40 percent of this, at 169 kWh per year.

From an economic perspective, the Öko-Institut states that it is not worth replacing any existing appliances early. Even the consideration of a repair case does not lead to a different result. From an ecological point of view, it is advisable to replace a functional refrigerator without a linked freezer if the annual electricity consumption exceeds 240 kWh. Financially, there are no recognizable savings opportunities here either. In the case of pure freezers, replacing an old appliance is only worthwhile from an ecological point of view from an annual electricity consumption of more than 430 kWh. In terms of money, a replacement only becomes noticeable at 570 kWh per year. According to the study, a repair only makes sense from an annual consumption of around 460 kWh.

Keep in operation as long as possible

In the case of dishwashers, the researchers state that if the appliances in all the energy efficiency classes considered are used on average or infrequently, replacing them “makes no sense for either ecological or economic reasons”. Only in the case of intensive use of an old dishwasher with a poor energy efficiency class is a new purchase worth considering for climate protection, while this is only economically viable in the case of a repair.

In the case of a tumble dryer with a heat pump, the authors recommend continuing to use it for as long as possible “from both an ecological and an economic point of view”. At most, in the case of exhaust air dryers in class D and above and condensation dryers in class C and above, replacement with an appliance in the highest efficiency class (A) could be appropriate, especially from an ecological perspective. In general, it should be borne in mind that the contribution from the manufacture of the new appliance is comparatively high at just under 600 kilograms of CO2 equivalents. In addition, the increased share of renewables in the emissions from the use phase of existing appliances is likely to pay off in particular.

Vacuum robots are left out

There are no energy efficiency classes for vacuum cleaners, which makes it difficult for consumers to make comparisons. From a purely financial perspective, the study summarizes: “In the case of existing corded appliances, replacement with new appliances is indicated if the existing appliance has a rated power of 1,200 watts (or more) and is used continuously at maximum power consumption.” From a climate perspective, a replacement is recommended if the appliance runs for at least one hour at 1200 watts per week. The prerequisite is that a high-quality appliance with a maximum power consumption of 600 watts and equivalent suction power is used instead. As with all appliances, the operating time is also decisive, and the study lists various sample calculations from page 100 onwards.

The scientists were unable to identify particularly efficient robotic vacuum cleaners and battery-powered models, as these are currently still excluded from the EU’s ecodesign and energy consumption regulations. UBA President Dirk Messner welcomed the results: Continued operation is increasingly worthwhile, as are repairs in most cases.

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