Promoting highly efficient electrical appliances

1st May 2014

Concerns about the affordability of energy have risen to the top of the political agenda. Policy makers must adapt to this new environment by focusing more of their efforts on reducing demand for energy because this could substantially reduce costs. This should include encouraging consumers to purchase highly efficient electrical appliances, which is the subject of this report.

Consumers in the UK spend £8 billion a year, or around £300 per household, powering their appliances. Part of the reason for these costs being high is that UK consumers purchase inefficient appliance models.

This report shows the average level of efficiency for a selection of widely used white goods bought across the EU increased by 7% from 2005 to 2010, with the average amount of electricity consumed by each appliance reducing from 265kWh per year to 246kWh. But over the same period there was no improvement in the efficiency of the appliances brought in the UK, with the average amount of electricity consumed by each appliance remaining at an average of 265kWh per year.