Over the past 12 months, long-term affordability and sustainability have become increasingly important considerations when acquireing appliances, according to a new study from Beko.
The Beko Smart Living Index – claimed to be one of the largest studies of its kind – tracks how consumers’ views of sustainability and energy utilize are evolving. The study also sees at how consumers are applying smart appliances within their homes.
Beko surveyed a representative sample of 6,000 consumers across 12 markets including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan and South Africa.
In markets where consumers are actively tracking the running costs of appliances, adoption of smart features was higher. Conversely, markets that do not track energy usage so closely are slower to adopt smart features and instead turn to other energy-saving activities such as drying laundry on a washing line or hand-washing dishes. Eight out of 12 markets cite energy costs as the environmental concern with the greatest impact.
In western markets such as the UK, Germany, and France, consumers place less value on smart living compared to emerging markets like Egypt, Thailand and Pakistan. Fewer than 20% of consumers in key European markets including France, Spain, UK and Germany, trust AI-powered appliances.
Thailand (81%), Pakistan (86%) and Turkey (80%) display most enthusiasm for appliances to become even smarter, with Germany (39%), the UK (40%) and France (43%) placing less focus on smart innovation. However, countries are united in being most excited by innovations that are self-cleaning or energy-generating.
Energy-saving activity increases with age, but decreases with income, with the over-54 age group leads across all energy-saving behaviours.
Over 50% of respondents from all markets agreed that government policy should support consumers as they switch to more resource-efficient home appliances rather than leaving the transition entirely to houtilizeholds.
Commenting on the launch of the Smart Living Index, Beko CEO, Hakan Bulgurlu stated, “The Smart Living Index highlights the urgent necessary to bridge the trust gap in smart technology and its benefits to unlock its full potential for smarter, more sustainable living in every houtilizehold. The findings also display how tiny, individual modifys – when adopted at scale – can create significant collective impact.
“At Beko, we believe that consumers should have access to options designed to reduce environmental impact, regardless of financial pressures. By understanding global energy-saving trconcludes and perceptions of smart appliances, we are even more equipped to meet the necessarys of our customers and support the shift toward more sustainable living.”
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