Sunday, 13 September 2009

EU’s Click of Death for Old Family Friends

'After more than 70 years as a fixture in Britain’s living rooms, the cathode ray television is to face the final fade-out, as part of the European Union’s battle against climate change. The European commission is demanding that manufacturers cut the energy consumption of televisions by a fifth. Both officials and manufacturers say cathode ray televisions will fall short of the new targets and be consigned to history.

The move, which follows the banning of the 100-watt incandescent lightbulb, is part of an EU directive intended to curb the growth in household electricity consumption. Other measures, which come into force next year, include banning washing machines without a cold-wash setting. Cheap but inefficient fridges, freezers and dishwashers will also be banned.' SEE BELOW

F
rom The Sunday Times
September 13, 2009

EU’s click of death for old family friends

Bojan Pancevski and Steven Swinford

AFTER more than 70 years as a fixture in Britain’s living rooms, the cathode ray television is to face the final fade-out, as part of the European Union’s battle against climate change.

The European commission is demanding that manufacturers cut the energy consumption of televisions by a fifth. Both officials and manufacturers say cathode ray televisions will fall short of the new targets and be consigned to history.

The move, which follows the banning of the 100-watt incandescent lightbulb, is part of an EU directive intended to curb the growth in household electricity consumption.

Other measures, which come into force next year, include banning washing machines without a cold-wash setting. Cheap but inefficient fridges, freezers and dishwashers will also be banned.

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Even the kettle is under intense scrutiny, with plans for a study into improving its energy efficiency. It is thought that researchers will look at kettles that heat a set number of cups.

Brussels predicts the new regulations, named the eco-design directive, could save the equivalent of Italy’s entire annual electricity consumption. Critics, however, argue that the commission should tackle air travel before targeting domestic appliances.

According to Chris Goodall, author of How to Live a Low-Carbon Life, the average person in the UK produces 10 tonnes of CO2 a year, of which domestic electricity consumption produces just 0.7 tonnes.

“Even cutting all electricity consumption in the home wouldn’t compensate for the carbon dioxide produced by a return flight to Rome,” he said.

“Politicians feel they can regulate efficiency but they’re not brave enough to regulate lifestyle choices like flying.”

In Britain, electricity consumption has doubled since 1970, driven in part by a huge increase in the number of electric appliances and gadgets. Televisions are among the worst offenders.

Britain has 60m sets, which consume an average of 500kWh per household a year, producing 5m tonnes of CO2. Just over half of them are cathode ray, or tube televisions.

The televisions are one of the most enduring technologies. Invented by John Logie Baird in 1926, the first commercial sets were sold in Britain a decade later. The rise of flat-screen plasma and LCD models, however, has led to a decline in their popularity. According to GFK, a market analyst, 259,000 tube televisions were sold last year compared with 8.6m LCD and plasma sets.

The commission is to demand that from August 2010 manufacturers cut sets’ energy consumption by 20% over two years. Manufacturers confirmed last week that tube sets would not be upgraded.

Ironically, tube sets are actually more energy efficient than their flat-screen rivals. A 42in plasma television may use 822kWh a year, compared with 350kWh for an LCD flat screen of the same size. A 32in tube television, the biggest available, would use 322kWh.

Andre Brisaer, the commission’s head of energy efficiency, said: “They [cathode ray televisions] will most likely be taken off the market. Manufacturers will most likely be unwilling to invest in upgrading them given the lack of interest from consumers.”

The commission is also demanding that all washing machines are capable of running cold-wash cycles below 30C. Improved detergents mean clothes can be cleaned at lower temperatures.

The new regulations will potentially see the cost of fridges, televisions and washing machines rise by £100 or more. Under current EU benchmarks, kitchen appliances are graded from A++ to G for their energy efficiency.

From July next year, the commission will ban manufacturers from producing goods assessed as having a rating below the A grade.

Officials from the energy and transport group are now studying kettles, coffee machines, mixers and vacuum cleaners with a view to making them more efficient. Manufacturers are concerned. Paolo Falcioni, of the European Committee of Domestic Appliance Manufacturers, which lobbies for the industry, said: “Kettles are already as efficient as possible. The only improvement would be not to have them at all.”

A spokesman for the commission said: “Our aim is not to take products off the market. We want to push an upgrade of technology that will, in turn, cut energy consumption.”

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YOUR COMMENTS

7 Comments

(Displaying 1-7)

Mark Winspear wrote:
Hmmm... I wonder what the carbon footprint is for all the non-productive nanny-state public-sector non-jobs which have been created in the past 10 years? (Don't forget to include every far-east produced and shipped component of each "workstation" comprising PC, phone, desk, chair... andd associated coffee machines, bottled water, air conditioning, etc. etc. - oh, and all the extra HMRC jobs created to extract all the tax needed to keep it's insatiable budget fed).
PS: For all it's faults, the EU bureaucracy is minuscule compared to the UK's!
September 13, 2009 6:04 AM BST
Redmond McDonagh wrote:
Why is flying the big bogey man? 

Flying is often the cheapest, as well as the quickest way.

I had a quick look on the net, and I can fly London-Berlin for between £25 and £45. The train costs about £150. 

According to Via Michelin, the petrol to drive from London to Berlin is about £83.

So why does the cheapest method produce the most CO2?
September 13, 2009 4:05 AM BST
Mord . wrote:
shouldnt they be more concerned about getting more efficient government!
i mean ours is wasting trillions each year...
our domestic appliances are nothing in comparison. even if all costs are combined together.
they are obvioulsy starting from the wrong end of the spectrum...
September 13, 2009 3:05 AM BST
peter sumpter wrote:
Small terrace house plus attic, four persons with four cars, now can that be justified. What is that carbon foot print, but cars mean jobs, ' catch 22 '.
September 13, 2009 2:01 AM BST
Phil Berry wrote:
@ Joseph Kellie

The thing is though, most methods of increasing air efficiency mean increasing aircraft noise, and given the public wants it both ways, no wonder no one wants to intervene.

And most stuff made in China produces huge amounts of greenhouse gases and don't meet many human rights with regard to their employees.

@ Sue Davies

First of all, it's unfair, as people's mileages change every year, what if somebody just starts another job 30 miles away? What if somebody's mileage is soley work related, and cannot reduce it?

Or just how about we get fuel cell vehicles and nobody tells us how much we can or can't drive?

Though your flight idea is good, though the tories would never implement that because many of them love their expensive foreign holidays too much.
September 13, 2009 1:29 AM BST
Joseph Kellie wrote:
Why the hell should I have to listen to the EU simpletons.

Grade the products, let us choose and stop this interfering.

If you really want to make a difference allow cheap electric vehicles from China to replace expensive petrol vehicles, cut air travel, force airlines to upgrade their engines.

BUT Even if every person dropped their carbon footprint to .5 tonnes per year it would make no difference to the climate.

Climate change is not real except as a method of making new money in taxes.
September 12, 2009 11:50 PM BST
Sue Davies wrote:
Nothing wrong with having efficient appliances. A greater impact would come from rationing fuel and flights. Based on previous year's MOT mileage, issue fuel coupons for only 66%. Motoring reduced by one third! Exceptions such as essential business use or remote location use could be negotiated. Ration flights to only one or perhaps two return flights per annum. Stamping passports will keep record. Tough, maybe, but fair to all.

Posted by Britannia Radio at 09:46