Is the next emissions scandal waiting to happen… in your kitchen?

Could consumers fall victim to the next big emissions scandal? Divert.co.uk is raising awareness that the next scandal could be in your kitchen or living room, as consumers are being misled about their appliances.

The savvy consumer will keep an eye on the energy rating of their appliances when buying – if nothing else, it’ll save money off the energy bills as well as saving the planet. We’re familiar with the now-ubiquitous energy efficiency stickers – previously rating our appliances from A+++ (the most efficient) to D – and a recent European Commission survey showed that 79% of consumers take it into account when buying new appliances.

Consumers buying the best-rated products, keen to save a few pounds on their energy bills and do their bit to reduce energy consumption, would therefore be horrified to learn that their appliances may not be as efficient as they are currently being told – and are being left in the dark about the true rating.

But ever-improving tech means that the A+++ rating is no longer sufficient causing the European Commission to ask manufacturers to revert to an A to G rating scale. Consumers would assume that an item bought as an A+++ would be rated an A in the new scale – but this isn’t the case.

In fact, the EC’s explanation – “Several adjustments of the calculation methods occur in new labels. Therefore, values may differ and sometimes a lot.” – sheds no light on the matter, leading angry consumers to consider class action against manufacturers whose top-rated appliances appear to be, under new testing, much less efficient than promised. Despite the new rating scale correlating roughly to the existing one, many appliances are being found to be much lower rated under the new system.

Mark Hall spokesperson for rubbish removal company Divert.co.uk said manufacturers have a problem on their hands.

“Consumers are more informed than ever, and they are making choices about which appliances to buy in their millions based on information they should be able to trust. How many millions of appliances are being sent to landfill each year to be replaced by ones which are being misleadingly sold are more efficient?”

In fact, the number reaches into the tens of millions.

Seven and a half million televisions are sold each year in the UK, a staple in most homes for everything from late-night Netflix bingeing to catching up on the news, and four million fridges are sold. Both are rated for their energy efficiency, leading Brits to seek out more efficient appliances when buying – so there are millions of Brits potentially seeking to claim damages for being mis-sold appliances with lower energy rating, as well as the millions of appliances being sent to landfill.

While there are alternative options for recycling your television and disposing of your fridge, many may take the landfill route expecting that the energy and cost savings of their new appliances will make up for the financial and environmental burden.

Divert.co.uk’s spokesperson concluded:

“Consumers are going to be angry, and rightly so. Switching to a better energy rated fridge-freezer can save £113 a year – but consumers switching under the impression their new appliance will save them money because of confusion and unclear ratings will be sorely disappointed if that isn’t the case.

“Manufacturers have to be honest and upfront with their customers. Not only to protect their own reputation but to protect millions of tonnes of waste unnecessarily going to landfill each year and to protect consumers from making decisions without all the facts.”