Summary

Household appliances encompass a large variety of equipment including the cold appliances (refrigerators and freezers), the wet appliances (washing machines, dishwashers and dryers), the space conditioning appliances (heaters, air­ conditioners, heat pumps, fans, boilers), the water heaters, the cooking appliances, a wide array of consumer electronics (such as TVs, VCRs, HiFi systems) and miscellaneous small appliances (such as vacuum cleaners, irons, toasters, hairdryers and power tools). Household appliances save a large amount of domestic labour to perform the household tasks, as well as provide comfort conditions and convenience to the household occupants. The European Community SAVE Programme has promoted the efficient use of energy, in particular in domestic appliances. SAVE has sponsored a variety of studies to characterise the use of the main household appliances and lighting and to identify cost-effective technical options to improve the energy efficiency, as well as to identify the strategies to promote the penetration ofefficient equipment in the market place. National energy agencies, independent experts and appliance manufacturers have participated in the SAVE activities and have done a remarkable job. While the energy efficiency ofthe main household appliances has been improved, at the same time it was possible in most cases to improve the appliance performance, reliability and qualityofservice.