We live in a time when sustainability is a high priority for a lot of people in our society. We drive electric cars more and more often, we have more and more solar panels on our roofs, and even in the kitchen we increasingly want appliances that are energy efficient. Together we can save the climate, is the idea. However, it is now the case that with a lot of ‘green’ initiatives there is also a considerable saving in the wallet and that is exactly what I want to talk about in this blog.
Energy efficient also saves (a lot of) money
Personally, I don’t know how much I value these terms like sustainability and climate, but I do know that I like to save on gas, water and light bills at the end of the month. That is why it is good sometimes to get out the calculator and calculate how much money you can save by buying a brand new range hood that is tens of percent more energy efficient.
How much energy an extractor hood consumes
A range hood is not an appliance that is used a lot. The appliance usually runs for only half an hour a day on average. At about 15 kWh per year, it is one of the least power-consuming appliances in the kitchen. Compare it to the refrigerator, for example (375 and 350 kWh per year, respectively) and you can see the difference. Still, every little bit helps and it’s also good to take a closer look at this for consumption and the money you can save with it.
So save dozens of dollars in energy costs per year
I took a look at the different classes that range hoods can come in. If you buy an A++ or A+, for example, you’ll easily save three tens a year compared to an extractor from energy class E. If you then consider that an average extractor lasts about ten years (and some even have a longer lifespan) it’s a whopping three hundred euros you can save.
Note – the energy classes have changed
As innovation in the kitchen appliance market changes and becomes increasingly sustainable and climate-friendly, the energy class scale has also been adjusted. Where previously A was the highest, that category is now divided into three categories. A+, A++ and A+++. Until recently, hoods in the latter category did not exist, but since 2022, hoods in the most economical category have also been on sale.
How is the energy class of an exhaust hood determined?
You might think that it’s not all that bad how much a hood consumes. It has a simple motor that draws out air. Yes, that may be true. But there are a lot of other systems that consume power. These include lighting, which can sometimes consume quite a lot of power. Other sensors in more modern versions can also cause it to drop in the rankings of energy-efficient devices.
Is your range hood worth replacing?
Is your range hood working well? And is it not of the very lowest quality? Then it may not actually matter financially to buy a new one. It’s often better to just keep it working for a few more years, until it kills itself. However, if the range hood is class E or worse, then it might be a good idea to make an investment anyway. It’s an investment you won’t recoup for a decade, however.