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28th January 2021
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Call to support efficient appliance sales
A new report published today 'Promoting highly efficient electrical appliances' calls on the Government to help the public replace their old appliances and cut their energy bills by up to £75 a year.
The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that facilitating the easier purchase of energy efficient appliances could save the nation the equivalent power generated by 1,500 wind turbines or the proposed Hinkley nuclear power plant.
The report was commissioned by the environmental charity Global Action and supported by AMDEA (The Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances). It highlights that incentive or scrappage schemes have proved highly successful in transforming the uptake of efficient appliances in many other countries.
Douglas Herbison, Chief Executive, AMDEA, agrees that Government energy policy should pick off the simple solutions first:
"We endlessly debate the virtues of wind power, nuclear and fracking," he argues. "Vast sums have disappeared into schemes like the Green Deal, to improve the fabric of homes, while comparable savings can be made at a fraction of the cost and hassle by replacing old, inefficient appliances. Consumers could use a little help in the form of Government incentives or financial subsidies. Given the gains to the environment, it would be a small and sensible price to pay for a massive eco-saving."
The current challenge is to ensure that the existing stock of old appliances is phased out as soon as possible.
Further key points raised by the report include:
* £2 billion per year could be saved in total UK household appliance energy bills, increasing to a potential £3.8 billion by 2030 - as a result of reductions in the amount of investment required in low carbon generation to decarbonise electricity supply.
* While the average amount of electricity consumed by white goods appliances across the EU has dropped from 265KWh per year to 246KWh from 2005 to 2010, over the same period there was no improvement in the UK, with the average amount of electricity consumed by each appliance remaining at an average of 265KWh per year.
* Other governments worldwide have successfully promoted the purchase of more efficient appliances, including: consumers being rewarded with credits, directly deducted from their personal tax payments since 2005 in France, if they purchase efficient appliance models; consumers purchasing an efficient appliance in the US between 2009 and 2012, receiving cash rebates from the Government; and in Brazil, low income consumers least able to afford a new appliance, being offered a free energy efficiency appliance as a replacement for an old model (2008 to 2010).
AMDEA is the UK trade association for the manufacturers of large and small domestic appliances; representing over 80% of the domestic appliance industry. Members are all manufacturers, importers or distributors of household appliances.
AMDEA's Time to Change campaign encourages the public to save energy by replacing their old appliances. See the calculator and further information at:
2nd May 2014