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Standby for lift off

07 August 2008

STANDBY FOR LIFT OFF

On 7 July 2008 the European Union’s Ecodesign Regulatory Committee had a meeting.  At that meeting they talked of power.  Not of gaining power, but of reducing it. 

A new draft European Regulation is on the table which will require a reduction in the consumption of power by  electrical products of about 75% before 2020.  It will require all electrical devices, including televisions, microwaves, computers, to be fitted with technology which reduces the energy consumption while the appliance is either plugged in or on standby to a level which may be as low as 0.5 watt per hour by 2013.

Once in place, this Regulation could save approximately 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year across the EU - the equivalent of Denmark’s yearly electricity consumption. 

A European Commission’s proposal to the Committee prompted the draft Regulation, reporting that “For the year 2005 a study estimated that approximately 3.7billion installed products in the EU feature standby/off mode, leading to electricity consumption in standby/off mode of close to 50TWh [TeraWatt-hour = a million KiloWatt-hours], corresponding to electricity costs of about €7billion [£5.5billion] and 20 million tons of CO2 emissions.”

Fortunately, the Commission’s report also outlined the fact that the measures that the manufacturers must take should not be to the detriment of the consumer’s pocket. What’s more, the overall effect of the measures will be a beneficial one in the reduction of energy bills of actually running the equipment.

For one reason or another, the majority of end-product consumers still seem unwilling to take responsibility for turning equipment off at the source of power on a regular basis, and so the European Parliament will now be placing the duty at the door of the manufacturers to produce appliances that are more energy efficient whilst in standby/off mode. 

This top-down enforcement is fast becoming the norm but consumers should not be forgetful of their single and cumulative effect on the environment. Individual responsibility is still vital in helping reduce the world’s CO2 emissions.  This is a small but significant effort by the European parliament to control the increase. It is a real shame that it takes what some may see as such a dictatorial action, and one that has inevitably cost much public time and money, in order to circumvent the failure by the masses to turn off the telly at night or switch off a computer screen after work.

Kate Jardine
Planning & Environmental Solicitor

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