Istanbul, January 22, 2026 – As households around the world rethink how they use energy at home, new research from Beko reveals a clear shift in smart living adoption with consumers in emerging markets embracing smart appliances at a much faster rate than those in Europe, driven by rising living costs and the need to manage household energy more efficiently. The data shows that smart features are prioritised by up to 90% of consumers in markets such as Egypt, Pakistan and Romania, compared with fewer than half of consumers in European markets such as Germany and France.
Beko’s Smart Living Index (SLI) is one of the largest studies of its kind into smart living and sustainable home technology. The Index explores how people buy, use and think about smart appliances today. Based on insights from 6,000 consumers across 12 markets (UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan and South Africa), the Index shows that financial pressure, rather than environmental idealism, is the biggest driver behind smart appliance adoption.
Across every market surveyed, consumers reported changing how they approach appliance purchases over the past 12 months, with long-term affordability and running costs becoming increasingly important alongside sustainability considerations.
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Energy Awareness is Driving Smart Adoption
The research shows a clear relationship between energy awareness and demand for smart technology. In markets outside Western Europe, the vast majority of consumers, 72%, say they have a clear understanding of how much their appliances cost to run each month. In contrast, in Europe only just over half, 55%, of consumers say they understand the monthly running costs of their appliances.
This difference helps explain why smart features are seen as more valuable in some regions than others. “Our very first Beko Smart Living Index clearly shows that running costs are shaping how people buy and use appliances,” said Hakan Bulgurlu, Chief Executive Officer at Beko. “In markets where consumers actively track energy use, smart appliances are viewed as practical tools that help reduce costs automatically. Where energy usage is less visible, our data shows that adoption of smart features is slower.”
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Smart Living still Relies Heavily on Manual Behaviour
Despite growing awareness of sustainability, many consumers continue to rely on analogue habits to reduce energy use at home. The Smart Living Index found that in the majority of markets, two-thirds of respondents regularly dry laundry on a washing line instead of using a tumble dryer. Similar proportions reported limiting appliance use during peak hours or hand-washing dishes as ways to conserve energy.
While these behaviours demonstrate strong intent, the findings suggest smart appliances could help scale these efforts further by automatically optimising energy and water use without requiring constant manual intervention.
What Consumers Want from Smarter Homes
Interest in future smart innovation also varies significantly by country. Consumers in Thailand (81%), Pakistan (86%), and Turkey (80%) say they want appliances to become even smarter in the future. In contrast, enthusiasm is lower in countries like Germany (39%), the UK (40%), and France (43%). However, consumers across all markets are united in the types of innovation they value most. Self-cleaning functions and technologies that reduce energy use automatically are consistently rated as more appealing than advanced or complex digital features.
The Index suggests the existence of a significant trust gap, particularly in Europe. Fewer than 20% of consumers in major European markets say they fully trust AI-powered appliances, even though many acknowledge their potential environmental benefits. The data reveals that for smart living to reach its full potential, connected technology must feel intuitive, transparent, and clearly beneficial.
“The Smart Living Index shows that people are willing to change behaviour, but they need technology they can trust,” Bulgurlu added. “Smart living should make sustainability easier, not more complicated. When technology works quietly in the background, small individual actions can create meaningful collective impact.”
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About Beko
Beko is an international home appliance company with a strong global presence, operating through subsidiaries in more than 55 countries with a workforce of over 50,000 employees and production facilities spanning multiple regions — including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Beko has 22 brands owned or used with a limited license (Arçelik, Beko, Whirlpool*, Grundig, Hotpoint, Arctic, Ariston*, Leisure, Indesit, Blomberg, Defy, Dawlance, Hitachi*, Voltas Beko, Singer*, ElektraBregenz, Flavel, Bauknecht, Privileg, Altus, Ignis, Polar). Beko became the largest white goods company in Europe with its market share (based on volumes) and reached a consolidated turnover of 10.6 billion Euros in 2024. Beko’s 28 R&D and Design Centers & Offices across the globe are home to over 2,300 researchers and hold more than 4,500 international registered patent applications to date. The company has achieved the highest score in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) in the DHP Household Durables industry for the seventh consecutive year (based on the results dated 16 October 2025).** The company has been recognized as the 17th most sustainable company on TIME Magazine and Statista’s 2025 list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies. Beko’s vision is ‘Respecting the World, Respected Worldwide.’
About Beko’s Smart Living Index
The Beko Smart Living Index (SLI) is the first of its kind — a comprehensive global study examining how consumers view and adopt sustainable smart home living and smart appliance technology. Developed to provide actionable insights for industry, policymakers, and media, the Smart Living Index explores how financial pressures, generational shifts, and cultural differences are shaping household behaviours worldwide.
The study surveyed 6,000 respondents across 12 markets — the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Pakistan, and South Africa. Representative demographic quotas for age, gender, geography, and education were applied to ensure each market accurately reflects its population’s views.
The research assessed multiple dimensions of smart living, including appliance usage, smart tech preferences, energy consumption awareness, sustainability priorities, trust in AI, and expectations of government policy.
The research was conducted by JL Partners, an independent research and insights agency, ensuring methodological rigor and representativeness.
About J.L. Partners
J.L. Partners is a global research and strategy consultancy specialising in understanding public opinion, consumer behaviour, and market dynamics. Founded by the team behind the research programme for 10 Downing Street in 2019, J.L. Partners combines deep political insight with commercial expertise to deliver meaningful, actionable intelligence. Using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, we uncover how people think and why—whether targeting the general public, specific voter segments, product consumers, or emerging markets. More than just delivering data, we offer strategic guidance to help clients interpret insights and shape impactful campaigns in an increasingly uncertain and volatile world. We operate at a global scale with research capabilities across every major region.