A testing time for energy labels

Posted by Ross Lammas

A slap on the wrist for manufacturers Whirlpool (UK) Ltd, for displaying inaccurate energy usage information on one of their large chest freezers (model number CO405W). The National Measurements Office (NMO), the Government body responsible for checking up on the reliability of energy labels, found that the CO405W Whirlpool chest freezer used an average of 14.6% more energy than declared on the label. This was part of a wider project examining compliance in this area of the market. The chest freezer displayed its energy consumption as 332kWh per year, but results from an accredited testing process showed it used 381kWh/year.

We need to have confidence that products are wearing the correct energy labels, and that there are appropriate sanctions for manufacturers when they are found to be inaccurate. So was this the case for Whirlpool? Well, when NMO contacted them in May 2012, there were no remaining stocks of the product and they were preparing a new model of chest freezer for release. As no internal tests had been done between 2010 and September 2011, the time the last models were placed on the market, the focus shifted to guaranteeing the current range of freezers performed to the levels declared on the energy labels. To ease their conscience Whirlpool (UK) made a donation of €10,000 (£8,300) to Global Action Plan, a charity committed to changing the way individuals, businesses and schools think about their environmental behavior. This is almost half the amount that Zanussi donated to the Woodland Trust, when, in April 2012 one of their chest freezers (the ZFC321WA) was found to be using 14.4% more kWh per year than stated. Also, what about the consumers who bought a Whirlpool CO405W chest freezer? A difference of 49kWh per year might not seem a huge deal, however over the 17 year average lifespan of the freezer, that could add up to £120 (based on current energy prices). And how many of these chest freezers did Whirlpool sell? That could add up to quite a lot extra CO2! Meanwhile sust-it is showing some surprising results for some budget refrigerators, let’s hope the labeling on these is correct; we’ll keep you posted.

Cheapest fridges and fridge freezers to run 2012

Posted by Ross Lammas

Energy efficiency improvements in refrigeration appliances are up again for 2012. The latest A+++ models will certainly reduce your energy bills. Our review of the best performing fridges and fridge freezers in 2012 reveals that German manufacturers are leading the way with the most energy efficient fridges and fridge freezers models in the UK. Liebherr and Bosch/Siemans have the most top ranking products in the past twelve months. Japanese manufacturer Panasonic still top the USA Style Fridge Freezers section, as they did in 2011.

Most Efficient Fridge Freezers Today

Highlight of the year includes the incredibly energy efficient Bosch KSV36AW41G, which only uses £10.72 of electricity a year. With the average lifespan of a fridge being around 14 years (although, judging by our mailbox some models are lasting a lot longer than that!), the lifetime running costs, based on current energy prices, would be around £150. With energy prices likely to rise, energy efficiency should be top of the agenda when choosing a new appliance.

We’re often asked “when should you replace old refrigeration’s products?” To help you make a more informed decision Sust-it have created a simple to use ‘when should you replace old appliances’ energy calculator. Even if you replace your exiting 12-year-old freezer with an average performing new model you could be looking at savings of 48% on your refrigeration electricity bills. Go for one of our top performing models and could reduce that by half again. And, as long as you aren’t tempted to use the old fridge as a ‘spare’ in the garage or to stick it on ebay, your pocket and the environment will be quids in!

The top performing refrigeration products of 2012 were…

Liebherr TPESF1714 Undercounter Fridges
Liebherr TP1760 Undercounter Larder Fridges
Bosch KIR18V60 Larder Fridges (Small)
Bosch KSV36AW41G Larder Fridges (Large)
Liebherr GP1486 Undercounter Freezers
Bosch GSV29VW30G Upright Freezers (Medium)
Bosch GCM28AW30G Chest Freezers (Large)
Siemens KG36EAW40 Fridge Freezers (Medium)
Bosch KGE36AW40G Fridge Freezers (Medium)
Panasonic NR-B53VW1 USA Style Fridge Freezers

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How much electricity does an iPad tablet computer use?

Posted by Ross Lammas

Are iPads & other tablets, the cheapest and greenest way to surf the net? We often get asked why we don’t list the energy consumption of tablets and phones, the simple answer is they don’t use a great deal of energy compared to a desktop PC. Recent research by the EPRI showed that the latest iPad would consume 11.9 kWh per year – based on charging it every other day. That’s going to cost you £1.70 a year to run, older versions are even more frugal at only 7.2kWh per year = £1.03! Compare that to a top of the range Apple Mac Pro at £70 pa, plus your monitor, which could be costing another £30 pa to run. So surfing the web on an iPad certainly seems the greenest option.

Most Efficient Desktop Computers

As always environmental sustainability is a complex subject. Tablets, smartphone’s and mobile phones will never use the same amount of energy that went into their manufacture, unlike appliances such as fridges, washing machines, tumble dryers, which will consume far more during their lifecycle. The environmental concerns are the use of rare earth elements which are used in manufacturing electronic devices. The mining and processing of these elements can have serious environmental consequences if they are not carried out in a sustainable way. It’s also very difficult to recycle tablets, smartphone’s and mobile phones due to their size and complexity. Put this together with our throwaway culture of consumers “my contract is up for renewal, I must have a new phone!” even though their existing phone works perfectly well and they could save a mint by switching to a cheaper tariff. Our advice would certainly be to use mobiles and tablet computers to surf the web, but please don’t get caught in the trap that you need to replace your device every two years. There’s a clue in the name ‘rare earth elements’ if something is rare they won’t be around forever!

Most Efficient Laptops

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Does it save energy to hand wash or use a dishwasher?

Posted by Ross Lammas

No doubt the subject of many heated arguments is the ‘dishwasher versus washing up by hand debate’. In the dishwasher’s favour, research carried out by Bonn University in 2003, demonstrated that, when used efficiently i.e. run fully loaded, they can actually use up to a third less water than hand washing the equivalent amount. The research was based on a 12 place setting or 140 items soiled with a interesting array of eggs, oatmeal and mince to reflect the average domestic washing up scenario. Winning the argument on the energy-efficiency of dishwashers is a bit trickier, given 75 % of UK homes use gas to heat their water, which is more efficient and produces less CO2 than the electricity used to heat cold water in dishwashers. However, add PV solar panels into the equation, and use your dishwasher during the day and it’s a much more economical story.

Dishwashing habits, both by hand and using a machine can vary; as the German research showed – nationalities differ in their habits too. I always twitch when I see cutlery being washed under a running hot tap, and we all know of the super quick ‘washer upper’ who fails to clean things properly! And that’s another reason for choosing a dishwasher; hygiene – even the most diligent pot washer with asbestos hands and good pair of marigolds, can’t compete with the bacteria busting 60-65?C dishwasher programme. So our tips on using your dishwasher most efficiently are: run only full loads; scrape your plates first – but don’t be tempted rinse them under the tap; choose an eco-setting if available and doesn’t take hours to complete; if you’ve solar panels use your dishwasher during the day; and, of course, when it comes to buying a new dishwasher look for the most energy-efficient model available. Dishwashers have improved in energy-efficiency in the last 15 years and dramatically reduced their water consumption too.

It’s Big Energy saving week – a great time to freeze your energy bill!

Posted by Ross Lammas

As the weather turns chilly and energy prices continue to rise, our thoughts turn to how to keep warm and keep the bills down, hence the timing of the Citizens Advice Big Energy Saving Week. Fuel poverty is a very real issue for many people, but heating isn’t the only problem. Our TV’s, fridges and washing machines all impact on our electricity bill and there is something we can do about it. Firstly, take a look at your fridge-freezer – how old is it? Chances are if it is over 15 years old, it could be using 3 or 4 times more electricity than a new, more energy-efficient model. Although it seems a bit of counter-intuitive to replace something if it is working, fridges and freezers are on 24/7, so savings would be recouped quickly, certainly a quicker and cheaper option than installing double-glazing. Take a look at Sust-it’s new energy calculator for old fridges, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers to see the potential savings.

The government’s own research showed that £86 per year could be saved if electricals were switched off from stand-by; if you replace an inefficient appliance savings would be far greater. And don’t be tempted to stick the old appliance in the garage as a ‘beer fridge’, which will just increase your electricity bills! We all need to be much more clued up when it comes to buying new electrical appliances and about our existing appliances. Even with the introduction of energy labels, very few people consider the long term running costs of electrical appliances before they buy, in the same way they would if buying a car. This fact is backed up by a recent report by the University of Sussex, Efficient Household Appliances: A field study of the contribution of appliance replacement and consumer behaviour to reducing energy use, calling for “Clearer information relating the energy rating of new appliances to the cost saving potential”, something Sust-it has providing since 2007. Their study, although small, also demonstrated that in all cases appliance replacement brought about savings, they claim that by replacing a 5-10 year old fridge freezer with a fairly standard up-to-date (A or A+) model, savings of between 40% and 60% could be made and, more importantly, additional savings could be made when consumers were asked to adjust their behaviour. Tests showed that when consumers switched to a lower temperature wash on washing machines it typically yielded energy savings of between 35% and 59%.

To some households the cost saving will be not important to them, but with an estimated 15 million old freezers, fridges and washing machines (ten or more years) still being used in UK homes, there must be economic as well as an environmental reason for encouraging the replacement of inefficient appliances. Old appliances should, of course, be recycled according to the WEEE guidelines.

References:

‘Powering the Nation’ published June 2012; study of household electricity usage, (commissioned by Defra, DECC and Energy Saving Trust at a cost of £850,000) Showed savings of up to £86 per year could be made by simply by turning off electricals when they are not in use.

The University of Surrey Efficient Household Appliances Pilot Study, A field study of the contribution of appliance replacement and consumer behaviour to reducing energy use. October 2012 This study was sponsored by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA