Category
5 articles
A hob is a five-year financial decision, not a Saturday afternoon impulse buy. We have added up the appliance, the Gas Safe or electrician work, the pans, the kWh and the ventilation so you can compare gas, ceramic and induction like-for-like.
Buying an appliance that's already had a life can save you hundreds — or cost you more than new once the bills and the first repair land. A practical guide to grading labels, UK consumer rights, and the maths that decides which side of the line you're on.
When a washing machine, fridge, oven or dishwasher starts playing up, the emotional answer is often to replace it. The financial answer is more interesting. Here is a practical 2026 repair-or-replace scorecard, with five-year costs, parts checks and efficiency maths.
We'll happily spend an evening comparing energy labels, then buy a dishwasher that sounds like a skip lorry reversing. Here's the case for treating decibel ratings as a headline spec — especially in flats and open-plan kitchens — plus the numbers worth aiming for in 2026.
We crunched the numbers on the small appliances cluttering Britain's worktops, using 2026 electricity prices and realistic daily habits. Some of the results will surprise you — and a couple of the so-called 'budget' gadgets are quietly the priciest things you own.