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468 LOADS OF WASHING, 520 DINNER PLATES, 1,000 CUPS OF TEA, 624 MEALS MICROWAVED AND 416 SHIRTS IRONED… WHAT OUR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES GET THROUGH EVERY YEAR, ACCORDING TO RESEARCH
Research commissioned by electrical retailer, AO, surveyed the nation to reveal today reveals just how much work our household appliances do in one year, with the average oven cooking as many as 468 meals and the average dishwasher churning out 624 knives and forks, 520 dinner plates and cups, 468 glasses and 416 pots and pans.
Adobe
It’s no surprise that two thirds (62 percent) of Brits say they couldn’t live without their appliances, with a half (51 percent) claiming they couldn’t even survive A DAY without them.
The research also found that unsurprisingly perhaps, the hardest working appliance in the nation’s kitchen is the kettle, which is boiled over 1,092 times a year, closely followed by coffee machines which deliver a caffeine kick as many as 624 times over 12 months.
Other white goods working overtime throughout the year include the microwave, which will heat up 624 meals and leftovers, the washer dryer, which will clean 468 laundry loads, and the vacuum cleaner which will power through the house 458 times.
In fact, if paid the average washing machine would earn as much as £5,114 a year for the number of hours it puts in, highlighting the valuable, under-valued role it plays in British homes.
Despite this, one in four (24 percent) admit they that don’t appreciate them, with a further 71 percent going a step further and confessing that they regularly get annoyed with their white goods.
One in two (49 percent) have EVEN shouted at them on more than one occasion.
In contrast, one in five (18 percent) wish people appreciated their appliances more, with the washing machine (63 percent), fridge freezer (54 percent), oven (45 percent) and vacuum cleaner (44 percent) the devices we could NEVER live without.
To combat the nation’s love/hate relationship with appliances, AO’s is launching a new, Appliance Appreciation Society made up of psychologist, Emma Kenny, content Creator, Daisy Woods and artist, Jazz Stan, which aims to help Brits show some love to their appliances.
Gwil Snook, appliance expert at AO said:
“We’re not surprised that the research shows that even though appliances play an important role in our lives, we don’t appreciate them or know how to get the most out of them.
It’s interesting to see that 80 percent of Brits think they could live without their dishwasher, as we understand how appliances such as those can make busy family life much easier.
In fact, appreciating appliances comes down to more than just celebrating the work they do for us. Maintaining them and giving them a regular clean all contribute to making them more efficient at the jobs they do around our homes.
At AO, we recognised that there was a lack of love shown towards a range of appliances by Brits, which is why we created our Appliance Appreciation Society. We believe all appliances deserve to be shown some love!”.
ao.com
Even though a third (30 percent) say they are using their appliances more now than three years ago, 62 percent of the 2,000 Britons polled don’t know how to use all the functions, with a further 95 percent confessing that they use the same setting every time.
This could be down to the fact that one in ten (13 percent) have never read the user manuals for their household appliances, with a further tenth (10 percent) admitting that they have thrown all of them in the bin.
A decision that 49 percent have come to regret when faced with appliance issues, with a WHOPPING 92 percent agreeing that the only time that people read manuals is when an appliance breaks down.
Psychologist Emma Kenny said:
“Household appliances are invisible helpers that make our lives run smoothly. We take our appliances for granted because they're always just there, doing their job without a fuss. Until, of course, they don’t. That’s when the panic sets in, and suddenly, we realise how much we depend on them.”
“But here’s the thing, appreciating these appliances can boost our psychological well-being. Practicing gratitude for these time-saving machines shifts our focus from frustration to appreciation. When we acknowledge the convenience they bring into our lives, we cultivate a sense of thankfulness that can spill over into other areas of our life. It's like a little mental trick that helps us stay positive.”
“This practice of gratitude can improve our mood and reduce stress. When we're grateful, we tend to feel more content and less anxious. It’s a simple shift but a powerful one. By being thankful for our appliances, we’re not just appreciating the machines themselves, but also the comfort and efficiency they bring to our lives. It’s about finding joy in the little things.”
Adobe
According to the findings, 65 percent of Brits have changed the way they use their white goods as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, with over half (56 percent) admitting they are consciously trying to not use them as much.
Almost half (47 percent) switch off appliances at the plug when they are not in use, with a third (34 percent) filling the washing machine to the brim with bigger loads.
20 percent of Brits confess they use their fridge as a notice board to keep them on track for the week, with meal planning and shopping lists. A further 13 percent of parents admit that the fridge is slowly becoming an art gallery where they display their children’s art even if they don’t think it’s the greatest masterpiece!
Two thirds (67 percent) think that you can tell a lot about a person’s style by their household goods, with 39 percent even going so far as to secretly judge someone based on what they have in their home.
