Heating & Cooling

Appliances are subject to many of the same ethical considerations as other consumer electronics. Cheap appliances likely mean manufacturers are skipping standards relating to workers' conditions and wages, and the quality of materials used in production. Other concerns include conflict minerals, opaque supply chains, right to repair and e-waste. Buying second-hand is a nice way to sidestep many of these issues. Buying from used appliance stores means the item has been checked over and will usually come with a warranty. Advantages to buying used include saving money, extending the life of products, reducing landfill, and keeping money local.

Of all the energy used by a household 29% goes on use of appliances. This includes 9% on the fridge and freezer, and 15% on electronic equipment and items such as irons, vacuum cleaners and sewing machines. Cutting the energy used by your appliances can have an immediate effect on bills and carbon emissions. See article for more on specifics for dryers, refrigerators and freezers.   [Carbon Cops]

Right to repair refers to a consumer's ability to repair the products they own themselves or by taking it to an independent repairer. There are many ways companies limit repairability, usually for the sake of turning a profit. One method is called planned obsolescence, where products are designed with an artificially limited useful life, forcing customers to replace their products more often. Other anti-repair strategies include blocking and locking third-party parts, designing unrepairable products, pairing parts to the motherboard, and restricting access to parts, tools, and manuals. There are many negative consequences to these business practices, such as encouraging wastage, environmental damage, and causing financial stress for consumers.