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 OnePoll 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.
According to AMDEA, nearly a third of households have never or rarely registered their large appliances, rendering them 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 5 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 Gen Z, less than half (41%) felt their coffee machine was a luxury item, compared to 64% of both Boomers and Gen X. The younger generation are also less likely to consider hair tongs (30%) and air fryers (33%) a luxury compared to boomers (55% for hair tongs and 47% for air fryers).
Washing machines united the generations by being one of the 3 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%.
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 40million 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.”
