Products

Energy saving with Smeg

With energy costs continuing to rise, we're all looking for ways to save money, and the kitchen is a great place to start! Learn about the energy-saving features and tips offered by Smeg.

Smeg's domestic appliances have all been designed with longevity in mind. We are committed to building products that last, with the aim of reducing Smeg’s environmental footprint as much as possible. We are also constantly working hard to obtain the highest energy efficiency class rating possible on every new product introduced in order to reduce the environment impact.

When choosing a kitchen appliance, it is important to consider its efficiency. The more energy efficient an appliance is, the more it will help the environment while also saving you money on your energy bills.

How do I find out how energy efficient my appliance is?

Products that have an energy rating will be supplied with an energy rating label. This label provides clean and simple information about how much energy the product uses as well as other key features.

These labels have recently been re-scaled so its worth having a read of our article to understand which products have been re-classified and why.

Read the article

HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY WHILE I'M COOKING?

Simple changes, such as adapting the way you cook, using energy-saving features on your appliances, or following tips and tricks, can help you save money.

We've highlighted some of the best energy-saving features found in the Smeg range, as well as some helpful tips on how to get the most out of your appliance and save energy, in the sections below.

Ovens

Smeg ovens are extremely energy efficient. They have a minimum A energy rating, with most receiving an A+ for energy efficiency.

What eco-saving features do Smeg ovens have?

Eco function
All Smeg ovens feature an energy-efficient ECO cooking function. Although it has a slightly longer heat-up time, this function is a great option for those wishing to save energy and money. By the time you have chopped and prepared your dish for the oven, it will most certainly be ready to go. However, if you are in a rush our Circulaire function can reach 180C in just 4-6minutes. Both ECO circulaire & Circulaire functions allow you to cook all your dishes at once, so you can cook your starter, main and dessert together (on different levels) without any flavour or smell transference. This means that you only need to put your oven on once, saving energy.

Eco-light
Rather than having the interior light on permanently, the ovens have the option of turning the light off after a few seconds. There is still the ability to switch it back on, to check on the food, with the turn of a dial or press of a button.

Viewing window
Each time the door to an oven is opened, the temperature drops significantly. The oven then has to work much harder to get back to its previous cooking temperature which uses more energy. With large viewing windows, checking on your food in a Smeg oven is easy. Eclipse glass, an innovative, premium material that appears jet black when the oven is off, yet transparent when the oven is turned on and the light illuminates the cavity, is featured on some of our ovens *. By clearly seeing inside the cavity, you don’t have to open the door to check on your food, so energy is not wasted.

Closed door grilling
Grilling with the oven door open can waste up to 50% of the heat, that’s why Smeg ovens have closed-door grilling allowing you to grill with the door closed, reducing energy consumption.

Triple and Quadruple glazed doors*
Most Smeg ovens have 3 or more layers of glazing to ensure heat is kept inside the oven and less energy is wasted.

VIEW THE FULL OVEN RANGE

Oven top tip!
Remove all unused trays, pizza stones etc. from the oven when in use. These will absorb the heat resulting in the oven taking longer to preheat and using more energy.

Microwaves

Microwaves consume significantly less energy than ovens. For example, cooking a Jacket potato in a microwave can take just 10 minutes vs 1hr in an oven.

Microwaves are not only quicker to run but smaller in size which means that the heat is more focused on whatever’s being cooked, and therefore more efficient.

Smeg offers a number of combi microwaves which can be used as a microwave or an oven, or by combining the two. There are also a number of microwaves with grills available.

Microwaves are also more efficient when heating up small amounts of food vs cooking on a traditional gas or electric hob.

VIEW THE MICROWAVE RANGE

Induction hobs

Did you know that Induction is the most energy efficient hob choice available? This is because no heat is wasted during the cooking process. Read our Induction buying guide for more information.

What eco saving functions do Smeg Induction hobs have?

Eco-logic *
The Smeg ECO-logic function, restricts the power limit to 10 preset values from 1.5 kW to 7.2 kW of the appliance. This option means that you can save on energy bills by setting the limit to only use what you really need.

Eco-off function *
By selecting the Eco-Off function, the zone shuts down before the timer sounds, making use of the residual heat.

Eco-heat function *
The Eco-Heat function allows you to select one of three residual heat indicators in order to continue cooking foods or keep them hot.

VIEW THE FULL INDUCTION RANGE

Hob top tips!
1. Only turn hobs up as much as you need to heat food.

2. When cooking on a gas hob, if you see flames going up around the sides of pan, heat is escaping and energy will be being wasted. Instead swap the pan to a smaller ring. 

3. Put the lid on a pan of boiling water as this will help the liquid heat up quicker, reducing cooking times and saving energy.

Refrigeration

Most of our refrigeration range is now rated D for energy efficiency (previously A+++) due to the re-scaling of the energy label. These products are just as energy efficient as before and our article explains why the energy labels for refrigeration have changed.

What eco saving features do Smeg fridge freezers have?

Holiday mode *
This power saving mode allows you to disable the fridge compartment but keep the freezer working, reducing the amount of power the appliance uses. By activating this mode, energy isn’t wasted unnecessarily whilst you’re away from home for a long period of time.

No Frost/frost free freezers *
Many Smeg refrigerators feature frost free technology, which automatically defrosts the freezer to prevent icy build ups. Not only does this technology improve energy efficiency, but it keeps food fresher for longer so less food is wasted.

Door open alarm *
Each time the fridge door is opened, the temperature drops significantly. It then has to work much harder to get back to its previous temperature which uses more energy. Some fridges feature an acoustic and/or visual alarm if the door is accidentally left open, to help prevent heat from being lost unnecessarily.  

VIEW THE FULL REFRIGERATOR RANGE

Refrigeration top tips!
1. How you store your food makes a difference. Fill the freezer at least three-quarters full to keep the temperature stable. For the fridge, don’t fill it too full otherwise the appliance will struggle to circulate the air around, food freshness will deteriorate and more energy will be used. 

2. By storing bottled water and cans in the refrigerator they will act as a vessel to hold the cold inside the refrigerator, helping your appliance to maintain the temperature even better,

3. Don't put hot food in the fridge - not only is this unsafe, but your appliance will have to work harder to bring the food down to the right temperature.

4. If manually defrosting, put your food into the fridge instead of on the work surface. This is safer and more energy-efficient, as the fridge will help keep the temperature of the food low - so the freezer won't have to work as hard once the food has been returned.

Dishwashers

Did you know that a dishwasher consumes approximately ten times LESS water than washing by hand, something worth seriously considering! Smeg dishwashers have been designed to offer the best washing results with minimum water consumption, with some models using just 9 litres of water. The majority of our new dishwasher range is rated B for energy efficiency, due to the recent re-scaling of the energy label. Read the new energy label article to understand the recent changes for dishwashers.

What eco saving functions do Smeg dishwashers have? 

Eco programme *
On Eco mode, Smeg dishwashers use a low amount of water and energy to provide the most environmentally friendly clean.

Dry assist *
Smeg dishwashers with this feature have a special device that automatically opens the door a few centimetres at the end of the drying cycle. By doing this the heater element is used less to dry the crockery and results in an energy saving of up to 20%.

Half load *
This programme allows you to wash a reduced load saving energy and water.

VIEW THE FULL DISHWASHER RANGE

Dishwasher top tip!
Take the time to stack your dishwasher efficiently and utilise a cutlery tray if you have one, to reduce how often you need to use it.

Other energy saving features include inverter motors on many appliances in order to reduce energy consumption in addition to their other benefits, energy efficient LED lighting on our hoods and refrigeration products, and water and energy saving cartridges on our taps.

*Subject to model specification

Smeg’s top tips to save energy in the kitchen

  • Don’t leave appliances on standby. According to the energy savings trust, this costs UK households £35 every year on average.
  • Consider upgrading appliances if their energy rating is low or you’ve had them for 10 + years.
  • Wash clothes at a lower temperature to help reduce energy consumption.
  • Use the ECO setting if your appliance has one.
  • Take advantage of off-peak times (late at night or early in the morning) when using your dishwasher or washing machine.
  • Consider your needs vs the size of your appliance. For example, Smeg's mini kettle has been designed to encourage less water and energy to be used.
  • Look after your appliance. Make sure you regularly descale it to prevent limescale build-up and clean any filters to keep it in peak condition, ensuring it works as efficiently as possible.