We live in a time when sustainability is a high priority for a lot of people in our society. We are increasingly driving electric cars, we have more and more solar panels on our roofs and we also increasingly want energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen. Together we can save the climate, is the idea. Now, however, with a lot of ‘green’ initiatives also come considerable savings 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 grab the calculator and calculate how much money you can save by buying a brand new cooker hood that is tens of percent more energy efficient.
How much energy a cooker hood consumes
A cooker hood is not an appliance that is used a lot. The appliance usually runs for only half an hour a day on average. At around 15 kWh per year, it is one of the least power-consuming appliances in the kitchen. Compare it to the fridge, 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.
Save tens of euros in energy costs per year
I took a look at the different classes extractor hoods can come in. If you buy an A or A , for example, you’ll easily save three tens of euros a year compared to an energy class E cooker hood. If you then consider that an average cooker hood lasts about ten years (and some even have a longer lifespan), it’s a whopping three hundred euros you can save.
Take note – 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 changed. Where previously A was the highest, that category is now split 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 extractor hood determined?
You might think it’s not all that bad how much a cooker hood consumes. It has a simple motor that draws out air. Yes, that might 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 the appliance to drop in the ranking of energy-efficient appliances.
Is your cooker hood worth replacing?
Is your cooker 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 cooker hood is class E or worse, then it might be a good idea to make an investment anyway. It is an investment that you will only recoup after a decade, though.