What's the Hotpoint ActiveCare NDD10726GDAUK Washer Dryer like to use day-to-day?
Quiet, effective and easy to use, the Hotpoint ActiveCare NDD10726GDAUK fits right in with Nino's family life. Taking advantage of the lower energy costs of the Eco cycle, he prefers to set the machine to work overnight, finishing up just before everyone wakes up for the day. The Eco cycle takes longer than other modes, so it's ideal to use overnight or when you're not in a hurry to get your laundry back.
The Stop and Add feature is a godsend we're always happy to see on modern washing machines and washer dryers. Allowing you to pause the cycle and add any forgotten or extra items to the wash, it comes in particularly handy with a baby around.
With a 10kg wash capacity, it's big enough for bedding, bath sheets and all the laundry a young family can produce on a day-to-day basis. Nino finds the 7kg drying capacity more than enough for drying even large items, and says the drum is "like a Tardis!"
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Is the Hotpoint ActiveCare NDD10726GDAUK Washer Dryer energy-efficient?
As a washing machine, the Hotpoint ActiveCare NDD10726GDAUK Washer Dryer has an energy rating of A, however, like most washer dryers, its drying function has a D rating. Here's why:
While they take up half the space of a separate washing machine and tumble dryer, they use a lot more energy than two standalone appliances do. Most budget washer dryers and even some of the more premium ones will have an overall rating of D.
This is because, while washer dryers use about the same amount of energy on a wash cycle as a washing machine, they use a lot more than a standalone tumble dryer. Energy ratings are worked out separately for a washer dryer's wash and dry functions, but its overall rating will be the lower of the two.
Most washer dryers under £1,000 have a condenser tumble dryer, which are cheaper to manufacture but more energy-hungry than the newer, energy-efficient heat pump tumble dryers. They also require more heat to dry your clothes than even a relatively energy-inefficient budget tumble dryer, so achieving an A rating is still only possible for more expensive models like the LG LSWD100E.
In order to save energy, Which? recommend washing at lower temperatures and separating your fabric types for drying, which will shorten the drying time.
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