Fallen for an older model?

Register old and new appliances for a safer home

As the cost-of-living crisis prompts more people to consider buying second-hand large domestic appliances, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is urging householders to register all appliances, whether brand new or pre-loved.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is supporting the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliance’s (AMDEA) campaign this week to remind appliance users to register appliances with the manufacturer, be they small or large, and bought, ‘adopted’ or ‘inherited’.

Registermyappliance.org.uk provides free and easy access to 60 leading brands sold in the UK. Many accept registration of products at least 12 years old and no proof of purchase is needed.

Dave Hughes, Head of Fire Safety and West area for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service says: “Many more people are thinking about buying second hand to cut costs. Some will also be installing products pre-used by another member of their family or maybe adopting a machine already connected when they moved into a new place. But they can still do the sensible thing – it’s easy and free.  Registering these appliances means the manufacturer knows where to find it in case of a safety repair or recall. It’s also good for anybody in rented or housing association accommodation. You can’t put a price on the peace of mind brought by knowing you’re registered and it might even extend the life of the appliance”

A recent survey[1], conducted for AMDEA for Register My Appliance Week (23-27 January), showed a significant surge in people thinking about buying a second-hand large domestic appliance, due to the current increasing cost-of-living.  Now one in four (25%) of people say they are likely to consider buying a second-hand appliance online, compared to just one in six (16%) four years ago[2]. For Millennials[3], two in five (37%) are now likely to buy pre-loved online, with the over 55s least likely at 12%. But only one in five (20%) would bother to take the simple safety step of registering that appliance with the manufacturer before installing it, the survey revealed.

Many have already bought a large domestic appliance second hand. As many as one in four (24%) have done so online or from a shop.

Saving money was the principal motivator for buying previously used. When asked their reasons for considering it at any time in the future, 70% said to save money and 39% because it would be the only way to afford to replace an essential appliance. However, environmental motives and saving resources also scored well: 39% cited environmental reasons for taking the pre-loved route. This rose to almost half (46%) for Millennials.

But when respondents were asked what they would do before installing or ‘adopting’ a second-hand appliance, only 20% said they would register the machine with the manufacturer in case of a recall. This is despite most manufacturers enabling simple and easy registration of older appliances. Most (54%) said they would find the manual online, 42% would check installation instruction and 31% would even have it checked by a qualified technician, presumably with the implied cost of doing this rather than the free and simple act of registering.