Eight leading UK retailers - Best Buy UK, Comet, Co-operative Electrical, DSGi (Currys and PC World), John Lewis Partnership, Home Retail Group (Argos), Marks & Spencer, and Sainsbury’s - have voluntarily joined a new scheme launched by the Energy Saving Trust and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to remove the least energy efficient TVs from their stock, and educate shoppers about the benefit of buying an energy efficient TV.
The commitment means that all televisions sold by these companies will meet new minimum efficiency standards at least a year in advance of the EU introducing these regulations for all retailers in July 2012.
The Energy Saving Trust is working with industry to encourage other retailers to follow suit and voluntarily sign-up to join the initiative.
Commenting on the launch of the initiative, Environment Minister Dan Norris MP said: “I’m pleased that so many of our leading electrical stores have made this commitment to remove the least energy efficient TVs from their shelves.
“There is more work to be done to further improve the energy efficiency of these products but, with a World Cup around the corner when we know some people will be thinking of buying a new TV, it’s great for them to know that the models sold by these retailers will save them money on their energy bills and help the environment.”
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust added: “We are delighted to see such commitment from the UK retailers. Their decision to prioritise best performing TV in their stock will help shoppers make a real impact to reduce their household carbon emissions and save cash. We urge people to shop wisely when deciding on their new television.
“This World Cup, each football fan buying a new Energy Saving Recommended 42” LCD TV instead of the worst performing model could save around £42 per year off their electricity bills – that’s enough cash to buy themselves the brand new England away shirt and a celebratory pint down the pub.”
The worst performing 42" televisions on the shelf today can cost around £75 a year to run whereas an equivalent sized energy efficient, Energy Saving Recommended accredited TV would cost only £33 a year to run. That means customers choosing to buy an Energy Saving Recommended television over a poor performer could shave around £340 off their electricity bills over the lifetime of the TV and over a tonne of carbon dioxide.
The opportunity for consumers to make a difference to their household carbon emissions is vast, particularly if the TV is on more hours than average, for example during the World Cup event.
The number of TVs sold in the UK is on the increase. In the three months in the run up to the last World Cup in 2006, collectively the UK's electrical retailers sold 1.4m television sets, however
The Energy Saving Trust predicts that this figure will be 1.6m before this year’s World Cup finals. With this in mind, starting this spring, the eight committed retailers who together hold a share of over 50% of the TV market, will work hard to support the Voluntary Retailer Initiative for televisions, to promote their range of ‘best in class’ TV ranges.
Mr. Robert Ward, Loughborough around 1 year, 10 months ago