The average UK family could save £1,080 per year, simply by making better use of their freezer, according to new research.
The study by etailer AppliancesDirect found that the average family stands to save up to £90 per month – or £1,080, the cost of a family holiday for four – on their food shopping by freezing fresh meat, fish and cooked meals as well as making the switch to buying longer-lasting frozen produce instead of fresh.
The statistics indicate that, currently, Britain is a nation of food wasters, as more than 65% of the population admits to throwing away food because they’re unsure if it can be frozen or not.
What’s more, 15% of those surveyed admitted to using their freezer ‘rarely’, relying solely on the refrigerator to store fresh food. And 4% confessed to not owning a freezer at all.
By using the freezer to store foods that are unlikely to be consumed before their use-by date, or by purchasing frozen food, which tends to have a much longer shelf life in the first instance, households could save almost £1,100 each per year – covering the cost of Christmas, or a week-long holiday, for a UK family of four.
Frozen food not only reduces wastage, meaning families need to buy less, but it is often cheaper too, meaning additional savings can be made.
Fresh vs. Frozen Comparisons
Vegetables: Frozen Birds Eye Field Fresh Green Beans (750g) have an RRP of £2 and will last for up to six months in the freezer VS Sainsbury's Extra Fine Beans (200g) with an RRP of £1.40, which have a recommended use by date of less than one week after purchase.
Meat: Frozen Sainsbury's British Chicken Breast Mini Fillets (500g) have an RRP of £3.30 and will last up to three months in the freezer VS Sainsbury's British Diced Chicken Breast (251g) has an RRP of £3.00 which will last in the fridge for less than one week after purchase.
Fish: Frozen Sainsbury's Salmon Fillets (400g) have an RRP of £3.75 and will last up to 3 months in the freezer VS Sainsbury’s Salmon Fillets x2 (300g) with an RRP from the fresh fish aisle which has an RRP of £5 and have a recommended use by date of less than one week after purchase.
Dessert: Frozen Sainsbury's Toffee Swirl Cheesecake, Basics (460g) has an RRP of £1.05 and will last in the freezer for up to 6 months VS Sainsbury's Lemon Swirl Cheesecake (600g) which has an RRP of £3.50 and will last in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Mark Kelly, Marketing Manager at AppliancesDirect.co.uk, said: “With household bills on the rise, it’s important that families are making the most of their freezer and other household appliances to keep costs to a minimum. When it comes to food, Britain is very guilty of wastage and often this is down to the lack of understanding when it comes to what freezers can and can’t be used for.
“These money saving statistics aren’t surprising, as there is a lot of cash to be saved by using kitchen appliances the correct way. Aside from the savings when it comes to purchasing food and wasting it, there’s also an energy efficiency aspect to be aware of. Newer freezer models tend to offer a better energy efficiency rating, and a well maintained freezer will make for increased cost efficiency.”
Ensure you’re making best use of your freezer and save money at the same time, with AppliancesDirect.co.uk’s top five tips:
- In the event of a power cut, keep the freezer door shut and your food should be safe and keep frozen for the next 24 hours
- Most packaging will display advice and information on freezing, however a general rule which is useful to follow would be to never freeze dairy or fish for more than three months, and everything else should remain frozen for less than six months
- Be sure to defrost your freezer at least once a year to prevent reduced efficiency and therefore higher bills
- Keeping food constantly below 0°c means food is safe to eat once thawed; fluctuations in temperature can affect the food’s condition and texture
- Labelling products with the date they were frozen will help you keep track of how long they’ve been in there