Over half of Brits could not live without a washing machine, new study

62 per cent of people couldn't live without a washing machine62 per cent of people couldn't live without a washing machine
62 per cent of people couldn't live without a washing machine | Shutterstock
Appliances have transformed our lives and way over half of us could not live without our washing machine, according to a new survey.

Conducted by OnePoll for the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) to mark Register My Appliance Week, millions still fail to register these most important possessions.

The campaign aims to encourage people to register all their appliances - old and new – so they can be found easily if ever a safety repair or recall is needed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

How well do you know your appliances?

Householders from every generation acknowledged the vital role an army of home appliances play in their daily life from the moment they get up, with 70% of Baby Boomers reaching for their faithful kettle, first thing, for a morning brew.

Remarkably, younger generations now regard everyday necessities as appliances considered luxury items by their elders.

The survey revealed that as many as 71% of Gen Z considered tumble dryers important to daily life, with 70% saying the same for hair tongs and 67% the cheeky newbies - the air fryers.

Gen Z are also coffee mad with less than half (41%) regarding their coffee machine as a luxury.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Washing machines united the generations by reigning supreme as one of the three appliances all would find most challenging to live without. A total of 62% named the washing machine most vital.

Fridges were only slightly behind with 59% saying they were vital to everyday living, with the oven following at 32%.

Washing machines also came top when respondents were asked which appliances had most revolutionised how people do household chores: a total of 58% agreed they were transformational, with another cleaning item sweeping up as vacuum cleaners ranked second at 35%.

Gen Z are also coffee mad with less than half regarding their coffee machine as a luxuryGen Z are also coffee mad with less than half regarding their coffee machine as a luxury
Gen Z are also coffee mad with less than half regarding their coffee machine as a luxury | Shutterstock

Younger generations now regard everyday necessities as appliances considered luxury items by elders

Gen Xers were found to be particularly excited by smart tech and indicated that they were five times more likely than their grandparents to view it as an important feature when buying a new appliance.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Despite this overwhelming appreciation of appliances - with an estimated 133 million fridges, washing machines and ovens in use in UK homes - nearly a third of household have never or rarely registered their large appliances, rendering them extremely hard to trace if a safety repair is needed.

AMDEA CEO Paul Hide said: “We are clearly a nation of appliance lovers, who appreciate the transformative effect they’ve had on our lives and who are excited by the future of smart tech, especially the younger generations.

"However, people are missing out on an important safety benefit - an estimated 40 million large appliances are unregistered, which means they are untraceable if a safety repair is needed. It’s simple, quick and free to register @regmyappliance.org,uk and buys householders an invaluable slice of peace of mind.”

Satisfyingly, all generations seem to be switched on to the benefits of energy efficiency in appliances.

A whopping 80% of all adults said energy efficiency was an important factor when buying a new appliance, with 65% checking its green credentials before parting with their cash.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1838
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice