Water Efficient Washing Machine.

Sweet_Sugar_1984

Hello.

I just needed some advice please.

Does anyone know which washing machine uses the least amount of water to operate? I have been looking online for a while but it doesn't seem to be very clear and I've been told that the energy efficiency of a machine only takes into account the amount of electricity used, it does not look at water consumption.

I have been getting very high water bills recently, so it is an important factor for me when buying a new machine.

I would ideally like a 7kg machine with at least a 1400 spin.

All replies would be appreciated. Thanks.

System

Sweet_Sugar_1984 wrote: »

Hello.

I just needed some advice please.

Does anyone know which washing machine uses the least amount of water to operate? I have been looking online for a while but it doesn't seem to be very clear and I've been told that the energy efficiency of a machine only takes into account the amount of electricity used, it does not look at water consumption.

I have been getting very high water bills recently, so it is an important factor for me when buying a new machine.

I would ideally like a 7kg machine with at least a 1400 spin.

All replies would be appreciated. Thanks.

I think you may be wrong about water consumption. According to Which:

How the EU energy ratings are calculated
A washing machine's energy-efficiency rating is calculated by measuring kilowatt hours (kWh) used annually by the machine, based on its performance on full and partial 60°C cotton loads and a 40°C partial cotton load.

However, there is no requirement for a washing machine to actually reach 60°C. This might not matter to you - see should I wash at 60°C? to find out if you're not sure - but if it does, you may be interested to learn that some models get nowhere near 60°C even when you've chosen a 60°C wash cycle. In fact, one Hoover model we tested only reached 43°C on its 60°C cycle.

Temperatures aside, you'll also find other information on a washing machine's energy label, including annual water consumption (in litres), capacity (in kilograms), spin drying efficiency class (rated from A to G) and noise emission (for partial and full loads, in decibels).

The labels don’t include information on washing performance any more, because all models with a capacity of more than 4kg must achieve an A rating.

If you're choosing between two washing machines that each have the same energy label, take a closer look at the energy consumption figure quoted on the energy label and make sure you cross-reference this with Which? test lab scores for energy consumption.

I usually pop into my local library and have a look at the latest Which report.

Pincher

Sweet_Sugar_1984 wrote: »

I have been getting very high water bills recently, so it is an important factor for me when buying a new machine.

I pay Thames water about £2 for 1,000 Litres, which includes waste drainage. Obviously standing charge is irrelevant.

http://www.johnlewis.com/bosch-exxcel-waq28461gb-washing-machine-8kg-load-a-energy-rating-1400rpm-spin-white/p231614930?navAction=jump

The £399 Bosch WAQ28461GB uses 8,700 Litres a year


http://www.johnlewis.com/bosch-wab28161gb-washing-machine-6kg-load-a-energy-rating-1400rpm-spin-white/p1599323


whereas the £269 Bosch WAB28161GB uses 10,560 Litres a year

The difference is about 2,000 Litres a year, i.e. £4 a year.

The price difference of £130 will take 33 years to break even.

If you manage to find a miracle washing machine that doesn't use water at all, you will still only save £20 a year.

I have the WAQ28460GB, a very good washing machine, does 7kg. The current model is WAQ28461GB, which does 8kg. There are a lot of positive reviews on John Lewis for the WAQ28461GB. Buy it because you want your washing done well, not because it uses £4 less in water a year.

Cardew

As the OP intimates, people tend to neglect the cost of water(obviously if metered) in a washing cycle and instead concentrate on electricity costs.


Most new washing machines have very low electricity consumption - typically 0.4kWh to 0.6kWh for most cycles; costing say 5p to 7p.


Water consumption can be 50 litres or more.


The cost of water and sewerage varies tremendously across UK and ranges from about £2 per cubic metre to £5. If we take the average cost as £3 that means 10 litres costs 3p so a 50 litre cost is 15p.

Pincher

The John Lewis website lists the water consumption, as well as the electricity consumption for each model.


A cheap Hotpoint is 212kWh per year, an expensive Miele 156kWh. The difference in cost of electricity is £8 a year.


Neither water nor electricity are important factors.

matelodave

My water costs me about £5 cu.m so 2000-3000 litres less a year would save about £15.
I'd have to think very carefully to decide if it was worth paying £150 or more extra to save £15.

There are a lot more things you can do to save water that would cost significantly less than buying a posh washing machine.

Every minute you shave off your daily shower could save you 10-15 litres a day = 3-5 cu.m per year per minute saved. Easy savings that don't cost you anything - you also save energy because you don't have to heat so much

molerat

As above, the differences in consumption of both electricity and water between models is of very little consequence but every machine on the Currys website shows both consumptions as a figure per year and per cycle, this is of course using one of the standard euro wash cycles which may or may not bear any relevance to real life.

Cardew

molerat wrote: »

As above, the differences in consumption of both electricity and water between models is of very little consequence but every machine on the Currys website shows both consumptions as a figure per year and per cycle, this is of course using one of the standard euro wash cycles which may or may not bear any relevance to real life.

Agreed.


My point was not that the cost of water consumption should be a big factor in the decision of what machine to purchase, but that for water metered customers it is a bigger factor than electricity consumption; and the latter seems to be a major pre-occupation for many posters.

Owain_Moneysaver

Washing machines that use very little water may be a lot less efficient at actually washing and rinsing clothes.

http://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/why-cant-modern-washing-machines-rinse-properly/