Trade association AMDEA is calling on the Government to provide incentives to stimulate the contribution highly energy-efficient fridges, freezers and washing machines can make to the UK’s ambitions for a low-carbon future.
The moves comes following today’s (March 1) launch of a new set of energy labels that are designed to signpost the most energy-efficient large domestic appliances available for consumers. (For more on the new energy labelling system, see the spring 2021 issue of Alert magazine ).
AMDEA, which has published a ‘position paper’ on the current situation, argues that with an estimated 83 million domestic cooling and washing appliances in use in the UK, even modest measures, like helping individual households or businesses to opt for the most efficient products available, can make a big impact on reducing overall energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Vast improvements in appliance technology have reduced running costs and sent the energy ratings of washing and refrigeration products off the scale.
Currently the most frequently purchased fridge-freezers use 40 per cent less energy than those in homes a decade ago and with the majority of products rated A+ to A+++, the system lacked headroom to allow for further innovations, said AMDEA. A revision of the rating scheme has removed the plusses and spread the classifications more evenly from A to G. Deliberately leaving space at the top of the scale, from today, the same high efficiency models of fridges and washing machines will primarily be rated between C and F.
With as much as 14 per cent of the UK’s electricity consumption spent on domestic washing and refrigeration, AMDEA has published an online guide to help householders understand the new labels and encourage them to choose wisely, both for their budget and the impact on the environment. However, new consumer research carried out for AMDEA has revealed that currently cash concerns trump environmental considerations for private appliance buyers.
Price was the top priority for the majority of people (64.5 per cent), even though over a third (37 per cent) believe that when choosing products environmental impact mattered more to them than a year ago, and 36 per cent claim to have always placed importance on sustainability. Even though the payback of reduced running costs seem attractive to 87 per cent, people buying appliances are still motivated mostly by the upfront purchase price of a machine. While the energy costs for users of the most frequently purchased models have come down to an average of just £32 to £41 per year, this benefit may minimise their concern over long-term savings on utility bills.
Other data suggests that UK households are running more than 9 million cooling and washing appliances that are over ten years old, built at a time when machines were far less efficient. In the survey when asked about replacing their oldest appliances, one in four said they could not afford to replace them.
AMDEA also recognises that many purchases are made by businesses. These might be landlords, both social and private, housing associations or grant-providers who help people without essential home appliances to buy them. These organisations could also be persuaded to buy more eco-efficient appliances to help further in reducing emissions, along with builders and developers who increasingly provide kitchens fitted with appliances.
AMDEA chief executive, Paul Hide (pictured), said: “Across all price points AMDEA members deliver high-performance, low-carbon products. Compared with other home improvement schemes, incentivising the purchase of high efficiency appliances is simple to deliver and control. It can also help many families to reduce their monthly expenditures as we strive to navigate a post-Covid world, while placing the UK in a pole position on environmental initiatives.”
Other findings of the survey included:
• Respondents were keen on the idea of buying or moving into a rental home with high-efficiency machines – 71.2 per cent would be influenced if the property had these appliances.
• Those asked were also warm to the idea of buying more efficient appliances with incentives to do so: 84 per cent would be influenced to buy a more costly yet efficient model if a grant or discount were offered. With cash discounts (92 per cent), or VAT free purchase (78.8 per cent), offering the biggest incentives to motivate people to purchase a more costly and efficient model.
