Gen Z are more likely to consider coffee machines, hair tongs and air fryers a necessity than their older counterparts, according to a new survey conducted by OnePoll1 for the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) to mark Register My Appliance Week (20-26th January 2025). Appliances were considered to have transformed the domestic lives of UK adults and way over half of those surveyed could not live without their washing machine, yet millions still fail to register these most important possessions.
Householders from every generation acknowledged the vital role an army of home appliances play in their daily life from the moment they get up, with 70% of Baby Boomers reaching for their faithful kettle, first thing, for a morning brew.
Despite this overwhelming appreciation of appliances – with an estimated 133 million fridges, washing machines and ovens in use in UK homes[1] – nearly a third of households have never or rarely registered their large appliances[1], rendering them extremely hard to trace if a safety repair is needed. This registration message receives ongoing support from 150+ Fire and Rescue Services nationwide, who, yet again, helped to spread this year’s Register My Appliance Week’s findings, which included some interesting generational divides.
Gen Xers were found to be particularly excited by smart tech and indicated that they were five times more likely than their grandparents to view it as an important feature when buying a new appliance.
The poll of 2,000 adults revealed how much different generations value various appliances around the home – and what items they turn to first thing in the morning
For coffee-mad Gen Z, less than half (41 per cent) felt their coffee machine was a luxury item, compared to 64 per cent of both Boomers and Gen X.
The younger generation are also less likely to consider hair tongs (30 per cent) and air fryers (33 per cent) a luxury compared to boomers (55 per cent for hair tongs and 47 per cent for air fryers).
Washing machines united the generations by reigning supreme as one of the three appliances all would find most challenging to live without. A total of 62% named the washing machine most vital. Fridges were only slightly behind with 59% saying they were vital to everyday living, with the oven following at 32%.
Washing machines also came top when respondents were asked which appliances had most revolutionised how people do household chores: a total of 58% agreed they were transformational.
AMDEA CEO Paul Hide said: “We are clearly a nation of appliance lovers, who appreciate the transformative effect they’ve had on our lives and who are excited by the future of smart tech, especially the younger generations. However, people are missing out on an important safety benefit – an estimated 40 million large appliances are unregistered, which means they are untraceable if a safety repair is needed. It’s simple, quick and free to register @regmyappliance.org,uk and buys householders an invaluable slice of peace of mind.”
Satisfyingly, all generations seem to be switched on to the benefits of energy efficiency in appliances. A whopping 80% of all adults said energy efficiency was an important factor when buying a new appliance, with 65% checking its green credentials before parting with their cash.
