Ethical Fridge Freezers

Some of the UK’s leading fridge freezer brands are involved in unethical practices including poor environmental reporting, human rights abuses, and involvement in the defence industry. Purchasing an eco-friendly fridge freezer from an unethical company can undermine the environmental benefits of the product itself. The Good Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table helps consumers identify which brands combine energy efficiency with genuinely responsible and ethical business practices.

Fridge freezers are among the only household appliances that must remain switched on 24 hours a day, significantly increasing their energy consumption and associated carbon emissions. According to a study by the University of Birmingham, the cooling industry is responsible for around 10% of global CO2 emissions. Choosing an energy-efficient fridge freezer is therefore one of the most impactful steps consumers can take to reduce their household carbon footprint.

American-style fridge freezers, which place the freezer beside the fridge rather than above or below it, are particularly energy-intensive. According to the Energy Saving Trust, these models can cost up to three times more to run than conventional designs. This makes them a poor choice for consumers seeking to minimise both energy bills and environmental impact. When shopping for an eco-friendly fridge freezer, opting for a conventional layout is an important consideration.

The Good Shopping Guide’s research found that several fridge freezer brands are linked to the defence and weapons industry, including LG, Beko, Blomberg and Grundig, all of which received poor ratings in the Armaments category. Only 16 of the 30 brands assessed received a top rating for their Environmental Report, indicating a widespread lack of transparency around environmental commitments. Consumers are encouraged to consult the Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for a full breakdown of each brand’s ethical record.

Look for the kilowatt hour (kWh) figure on the product’s energy label — the lower the figure, the less energy the appliance consumes. Energy ratings now run from A to G, with A being the most efficient. Bear in mind that ratings are assessed relative to the appliance’s size, so a smaller A-rated model will be more efficient than a larger one with the same rating. Avoid purchasing a fridge freezer bigger than you need, as oversized models waste both energy and money.

CDA tops The Good Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table and was the first kitchen appliance brand to achieve Ethical Accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide, reflecting its recognised commitment to responsible business practices. Amica and Miele also perform strongly, both sitting above the benchmark. Consumers can consult the full table to compare all brands across criteria including environmental reporting, human rights, armaments, and codes of conduct.

CDA sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well across most assessed categories, though its Environmental Report and Brand/Product Ethics both receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Holding Ethical Accreditation reflects the brand’s recognised commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices — CDA is the first kitchen appliance brand to achieve this accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide.

Amica sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Code of Conduct, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in its Environmental Report. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide a meaningful and recognised way to formally demonstrate Amica’s commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.

Miele sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well across most assessed categories including its Environmental Report, Code of Conduct, and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in its Political Donations rating. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Miele a meaningful and recognised means of formally validating its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Belling sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Code of Conduct, Animal Welfare, and Fossil Fuels credentials, though its Environmental Report and Human Rights ratings are both acceptable rather than top. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide a recognised means of formally demonstrating Belling’s commitment to ethical and responsible business practices.

Kenwood sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well across most assessed categories including its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct receives an acceptable rating and it has attracted Other Criticisms. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Kenwood a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to responsible and sustainable practices.

Lec sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Code of Conduct, Animal Welfare, and Fossil Fuels credentials, though its Environmental Report and Human Rights ratings are both acceptable rather than top. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide a recognised way to formally validate Lec’s commitment to ethical and responsible business practices.

Montpellier sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Animal Welfare, Fossil Fuels, and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in its Code of Conduct rating and its Environmental Report receives an acceptable rather than top rating. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Montpellier a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to responsible and ethical practices.

Smeg sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Animal Welfare, Fossil Fuels, and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in its Environmental Report and its Code of Conduct receives an acceptable rather than top rating. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide Smeg with a recognised way to formally validate its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Stoves sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Code of Conduct, Animal Welfare, and Fossil Fuels credentials, though its Environmental Report and Human Rights ratings are both acceptable rather than top. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Stoves a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to responsible and ethical business practices.

AEG sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct, Political Donations, and Other Criticisms all receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer AEG a recognised means of formally validating its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Electrolux sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct, Political Donations, and Other Criticisms all receive acceptable rather than top ratings. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide Electrolux with a recognised way to formally demonstrate its commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.

Prima sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Animal Welfare and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in both its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct ratings. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Prima a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.

Swan sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in areas such as its Animal Welfare and Human Rights credentials, though it falls short in both its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct ratings. As a brand without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could provide Swan with a recognised means of formally validating its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Zanussi sits at the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in its Environmental Report, Animal Welfare, and Human Rights credentials, though its Code of Conduct, Political Donations, and Other Criticisms all receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Without Ethical Accreditation, applying for it could offer Zanussi a recognised means of formally demonstrating its commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.

Fridgemaster falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Environmental Report and Human Rights credentials, and its Code of Conduct receives an acceptable rather than top rating. Consumers seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Beko falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings, while its Human Rights credentials and Other Criticisms receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Those seeking fridge freezer brands that do meet the ethical benchmark are encouraged to explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Blomberg falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings, while its Human Rights credentials and Other Criticisms receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Consumers seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Bosch falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Shoppers seeking fridge freezer brands that do meet the ethical benchmark can explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible options.

Gaggenau falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Those seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Grundig falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings, while its Human Rights credentials and Other Criticisms receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Consumers seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Hotpoint falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings, while its Human Rights credentials and Other Criticisms receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Shoppers seeking fridge freezer brands that do meet the ethical benchmark can explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Indesit falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings, while its Human Rights credentials and Other Criticisms receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Those seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Neff falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Consumers seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Siemens falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. While its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct both receive top ratings, the brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, with its Human Rights credentials receiving an acceptable rating. Shoppers seeking fridge freezer brands that do meet the ethical benchmark can explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible options.

Whirlpool falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Fossil Fuels and Armaments ratings, while its Human Rights credentials and Other Criticisms receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Those seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Baumatic falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Consumers seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

Candy falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Shoppers looking for fridge freezer brands that do meet the ethical benchmark can explore The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible options.

Fisher & Paykel falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Those seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Hoover falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Political Donations category and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Environmental Report and Code of Conduct receive acceptable rather than top ratings. Consumers seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.

LG falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short in its Human Rights credentials and has attracted Other Criticisms, while its Political Donations rating receives an acceptable rather than top rating. Those seeking fridge freezer brands that do meet the ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for better-rated alternatives.

Samsung falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table. The brand falls short across multiple areas, including its Fossil Fuels, Armaments, Political Donations, and Human Rights credentials, and has attracted Other Criticisms. Consumers seeking fridge freezer brands that do reach the ethical benchmark can consult The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Fridges & Freezers Ethical Ratings Table for more responsible alternatives.