Status: 04/17/2023 7:55 p.m
In future, televisions, washing machines and other electrical appliances will consume less electricity in standby mode. This is the aim of new regulations from the EU Commission. This would relieve consumers of electricity bills.
In the future, electronic devices such as washing machines, televisions and portable game consoles will have to consume less electricity in standby mode. The European Commission has decided on corresponding requirements.
The Commission estimates that this will save four terawatt hours (TWh) per year by 2030 – twice Malta’s annual electricity consumption.
“Climate and consumer protection go hand in hand”
The measures should not only be good for the environment, but also good for the wallet: consumers should save around 530 million euros a year by 2030. “Climate protection and consumer protection go hand in hand,” said Anna Cavazzini, MEP from the Green Party and Chair of the Internal Market Committee in the European Parliament. At the same time, the new regulations could save “hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the EU every year,” she stressed.
According to the EU Commission, most electronic devices still use electricity when they are switched off or in standby mode. Rules have been in effect since 2008, which were last updated in 2013 and affect around 800 million products sold each year.
Manufacturers have to retrofit devices
Manufacturers have to technically upgrade their devices due to the now revised EU Ecodesign Regulation. You usually have two years to do this. In certain cases, the new rules will only take effect after four years.
According to the Commission, the new regulation takes into account the technological developments of recent years and also applies to small network devices and wireless loudspeakers, for example. The new requirements are expected to come into force shortly.