Best energy-efficient appliances to buy following the Budget 2026 – tried and tested

As my phone pings with a news notification for the 20th time today, it seems the Budget is all anyone is discussing. Earlier today, Chancellor John Healey announced that around 20 million households across the UK will get a £100 discount on their energy bills this winter. Households in council tax bands A to D will qualify for the ‘Household Energy Payment’, and the rebate will go directly into their bank accounts, costing the government around £2.6bn.Healey announced in his budget speech, “Let me say this to families at home. I know that with the conflict in the Middle East, rising energy bills are a real worry. I know that people look to government at times like this, not to solve all their problems, but to give them a bit of breathing space.”Whether you apply and want to save further, or just missed the qualifying bands, finding ways to cut your energy bills this winter is always a smart idea. Our shopping team have reviewed hundreds of energy-efficient products over the years – and many can help save significantly on your bills. From heated airers to dehumidifiers, I’ve rounded up the best tried and tested, cost-busting appliances below. Instant pot vortex versazone 12L air fryerRachael PennOne great investment for your kitchen is an air fryer. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, air fryers have quickly become the must-have item in your kitchen – and for good reason. Cutting cooking time and rustling up healthier food thanks to little-to-no oil, air fryers are also excellent for energy efficiency. Their wattage (between 800W and 3,000W) is far lower compared to an oven (anywhere from 2,200W to 5,000W). According to expert tester Rachael Penn, the best large air fryer to invest in is InstantPot Vortex Versazone. The air fryer’s 12L drawer makes it “ideal for cooking an entire meal in the air fryer or catering for a family; the split configuration – dubbed the SyncFinish function – cooks a main and sides so they’re ready at the same time.”The airfryer’s functions span air frying, roasting, grilling, baking, dehydrating, and reheating, giving your oven little to no need to be switched on. Capacity: 12L Size: 53 x 31 x 48cm Weight: 8.1kg Number of zones: Two x 6L baskets or one large basket Dreo smart whole-room heater 720sRachael Penn/The Standard Another great energy-efficient appliance is a smart heater. Instead of whacking up your entire household's central heating, consider targeting heat in the rooms that actually need it. Smart heaters connect to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, allowing you to monitor, schedule, and control your home's temperature remotely using a smartphone app, smart home hub, or voice assistant, making it easy to turn off when you’re not in and put on efficient timers. When looking for the best energy-efficient electric heater to keep your home warm this winter, Rachael Penn had nothing but praise for the Dreo smart whole-room heater. “Alongside app connectivity, it uses a motorised top which offers either focused hot air or a 360 degrees spread for the whole room,” she said. “It performs just as well in my small home office as it does in the bedroom, where it kept the whole room cosy.“The fan appliance heats up almost instantly, with a temperature range between 5-32º – perfect if you like it to feel like the tropics inside your own home. The compact, circular design doesn’t take up too much room, and it doesn’t get hot enough to pose a threat to pets.”Type: Ceramic fan Size: 22 x 22 x 30cm Weight: 3.1kg Extra features: Eco mode, 5-32º range, 12-hour timer, Remote, Wifi and app operation, 5-colour RGB light, 360º heating Room coverage: 15-25m² Swan 20L Low Energy DehumidifierRachael PennDehumidifiers have fast become a winter essential. These appliances extract excess moisture from indoor air to prevent mould, while reducing condensation, eliminating musty odours and easing allergies and asthma. The energy-saving benefits are two-pronged. When placed by a clothes horse, dehumidifiers can dry laundry indoors fast and cost-efficiently, compared to a tumble dryer. Dehumidifiers can also lower heating costs, as drier air takes less energy to heat than damp air – allowing you to feel warmer at lower thermostat settings. The Swan 20L Low Energy Dehumidifier was dubbed the top low-energy dehumidifier by our reviewer. Tackling damp and mould in your home, she highlighted how “its built-in sensor lets you set a target between 40 and 80 per cent, and the machine switches off once that level is reached. This means you don't have to leave it running constantly.”“Although there's no dedicated laundry mode, I set it to 40 per cent humidity and left it in a closed room with my clothes horse. It noticeably sped up drying. The 4l tank was generous enough that I didn't need to empty it too frequently during testing.”Extraction: Up to 20L/day Size: 25.1 x 34.2 x 56.1cm Weight: 13.4kg Tank capacity: 4L Laundry mode: No Humidity settings: 40–80% VonHaus large heated airer with coverZoe Griffin/The StandardTo further lower energy costs this winter, swap tumble dryers and radiators for heated airers when drying clothes. Typically using between 200W and 300W of power, and costing roughly 6p to 9p per hour to run, their warming metal rails accelerate moisture evaporation – drying shirts, trousers, and jumpers in a few hours rather than an entire day.Household appliance tester Zoe Griffin was sold on VonHaus’s large heated airer with cover. The airer comes with a peg hanger for socks and underwear, a flat mesh shelf for delicate items, and a fitted cover to trap warm air around the clothes. Zoe explains: “I could fit a good-size wash across the three tiers, without bunching clothes tightly together. Once I added the cover, warmth circulated the whole load – drying was noticeably quicker and more even. I saved an hour and a half drying t-shirts using the cover. “The built-in timer is another feature I found genuinely useful, as I could set the airer to run for a fixed period without having to remember to switch it off – particularly overnight.”Dimensions: D58 x W73 m x H 139cm Drying space: 17.8m Max Capacity: 30kg Timer: Yes Running cost: 8p/hour Guarantee: Two years