Energy Efficiency (Hansard, 18 November 1991)

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what consultations he has had with retailers of white goods concerning the introduction of a voluntary energy efficiency labelling scheme for refrigerators, freezers and other domestic electrical appliances; and if he will make a statement;
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(2) what consultations he has had with (a) the Electricity Association, (b) the 12 regional electricity companies' chairmen and (c) the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances concerning a voluntary labelling scheme for domestic freezers and refrigerators and other domestic electrical appliances; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
On 5 October last year the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry), called a meeting of representatives of retailers, the electricity industry, manufacturers and consumers to discuss the findings of a report on the energy efficiency of domestic electric appliances which had been prepared for my Energy Efficiency Office. At that meeting my EEO proposed that a voluntary energy efficiency labelling scheme should be developed. Subsequently, my Energy Efficiency Office consulted the chairmen of the regional electricity companies and the Electricity Association who agreed to proceed with the development of a voluntary scheme. My officials recently met the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances to discuss the scheme and have written to major manufacturers and retailers of domestic appliances to fully inform them of the scheme and invite them to participate.
All 15 electricity supply companies have agreed to participate and the scheme was launched, by the Secretary of State on 12 November.

§ Mr. O'Brien
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he intends to introduce compulsory energy rating schemes for dwellings; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
The Government's intention is that home energy labelling should be sufficiently developed to enable it to be incorporated into the Building Regulations when these are next amended. In the mean time, it is one of the aims of the Government's publicity campaign, with the title "Helping the Earth Begins at Home", to encourage the take-up of home energy labels. The Government will be discussing with the commission and other member states EC proposals on home energy labelling in the context of the SAVE programme.

§ Mr. O'Brien
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assistance his Department is prepared to give to local authorities to encourage them to improve heating efficiency in all their dwellings to achieve a good score on the energy rating scheme; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
The Government, under the Department of the Environment's greenhouse energy efficiency demonstration programme, are providing £60 million over three years for selected projects to improve the energy efficiency of local authority housing stock. More widely, the Department of the Environment's estate action programme provides local authorities with additional resources to improve their housing estates. In 1990–91 some 20 per cent. of the estate action budget, representing some £35 million, was geared towards energy efficiency improvements.
In addition, my Energy Efficiency Office's best practice programme is providing assistance in the form of technical advice, information and guidance to local authorities through its publications, workshops and seminars.

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with the energy directorate24W of the European Commission concerning the introduction of a directive on the relative energy efficiency of domestic electrical appliances; and what is the likeliest date for its introduction for (a) freezers and refrigerators and (b) other domestic electrical appliances.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
My Department has been fully consulted by the European Commission on its proposals for a directive on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources of household appliances. The proposed directive is a framework directive which sets out the procedures to be adopted by member states to ensure that domestic appliances displayed for sale bear energy labels which give potential purchasers information on the energy consumption of the appliances.
There is at present no timetable for discussions on the preparation of the subsequent implementing directives which will set out specific requirements for energy labels for individual types of appliance. However, it is expected that freezers and refrigerators will be one of the first types of appliance to be covered by an implementing directive and this is likely to be ready for introduction early in 1993. Other domestic appliances will be dealt with quickly thereafter.
My Energy Efficiency Office has therefore worked with the regional electricity companies—RECs—to introduce a voluntary energy labelling scheme which was launched on 12 November. Refrigerators and freezers in all the RECs' showrooms will by now bear energy labels that tell customers how efficient the appliance is compared to similar appliances and how much electricity it will use in a year.