Hisense UK's Chloe Blanchfield on how the hob market is changing

Driven by evolving consumer trends, along with shifts in attitude towards sustainability, safety, and convenience, the hob market has undergone notable changes – Chloe Blanchfield, product marketing manager at Hisense, explains.

Kitchens are the heart of the home, and the demand for smarter, more energy efficient, cost effective and aesthetically pleasing appliances is rapidly on the rise.

The demand for improvements in energy efficiency and cost effectiveness are mainly due to the rising cost of living and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Homeowners are now exploring electric hobs – especially induction – as a way of reducing their carbon footprint and energy bills. This is also having a direct impact on new-build homes, with stricter building safety regulations also contributing to a decline in the installation of gas hobs and the shift towards electric.

Regulations in the building industry
In the UK, the primary goal with new-build homes or flats is to significantly lower carbon emissions, playing a crucial role in the UK’s net-zero target. The Future Homes Standard (FHS) is a UK Government regulation designed to drastically reduce carbon emissions from new homes by 75-80% compared to the 2013 Building Regulations.

Last year alone there were 182,200 new-build homes or flats completed in the UK, and this shows no signs of slowing down for 2025*. However, one thing that is changing as part of that is the introduction of the FHS, which came into effect this year. This stipulates that new builds are required to achieve world-leading levels of energy efficiency and low-carbon heating, in a move to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels.

As part of this, developers have clear guidelines that they must follow, meaning that all new-build homes are required to achieve this through a combination of improved insulation, energy-efficient windows and doors, and low-carbon heating systems.

Whilst the change has only officially come into effect this year, changes have slowly been made by the building industry, and it’s a change that appliance manufacturers need to be mindful of and react to.

Outside of rules and regulations, there is also a shift in consumer perception, with more and more people being considerate of their impact on the planet. The increased awareness of climate change and growing environmental activism, combined with the desire for a more sustainable lifestyle, means people are being more considerate with the impact in their home. Personal motivations like wanting to protect future generations or reducing individual carbon footprint also plays a significant role.

What does this mean for manufacturers?
To meet consumer demand for eco-friendly products, manufacturers need to heavily consider sustainability throughout the appliance’s life cycle – from material sourcing and production to packaging, usage and end-of-life. This includes minimising waste including transportation emissions, prioritising durable and recyclable materials and reducing energy consumption. It’s also then important to inform consumers about the energy consumption of the appliance for the most effective usage.

What’s on the horizon for Hisense?
At Hisense, sustainability is a primary consideration for all new product development across our appliance categories. We consider everything from production to consumer usage, and reducing energy consumption for both cost effectiveness and a reduced carbon footprint.

For cooking appliances specifically, the shift to electric cooking versus gas cooking has been the main change in the market, due to increased concerns on climate change, but also the health risks associated with gas hobs, as well as the potential for more efficient and sustainable cooking. Electric cooking, especially induction, offers advantages in energy efficiency, cleaner air and a safer cooking environment.

All of our hob launches so far in 2025 have been electric, specifically induction, and include the most convenient features for energy efficiency as well as cooking convenience. For example, the fast and powerful heat is perfect for quick cooking, and the temperature will automatically reduce after boiling, helping to reduce energy consumption whilst cooking.

The shift to electric cooking is a multifaceted movement, and is driven by numerous factors – environmental, health, technological and financial considerations have contributed to making electric cooking a more sustainable and potentially safer option for the future of cooking at home.

It is also important that Hisense continues to acknowledge the existing market for gas hobs, which is why we are launching 2 new gas hobs later this year, ensuring that we still bring the latest features to those consumers.

*National Statistics