§ Mr. RostTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to launch an energy labelling scheme for electrical appliances; when discussions with the industry first started on a voluntary scheme; and what progress has been made.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonI have no plans to launch an energy labelling scheme for electrical appliances.
My Department has, since before 1980, been in discussion with the manufacturers of electrical appliances, and a pilot energy cost labelling scheme was developed by the John Lewis Partnership and Eastern Electricity in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency Office. As a result of this study, all John Lewis Partnership stores and all electricity board showrooms now display simple energy cost labels on refrigeration goods on a voluntary basis. Many other manufacturers and retailers as a matter of course provide energy consumption data for electrical appliances, either in their sales brochures or in the form of "energy labels".
In the period 1986–87, the Energy Efficiency Office produced two leaflets: one for consumers which explains the basis for energy cost labels on refrigeration goods, and one for retailers and manufacturers explaining the standard method of estimating the annual energy costs for refrigeration goods, washing machines and dishwashers from the basic energy consumption data provided by the manufacturer. Any retailer or manufacturer who so wishes may draw upon these leaflets to produce a simple energy cost label. Copies of these leaflets are available from the Energy Efficiency Office.