We expect to see a dramatic shift towards less power hungry and more efficient vacuum cleaners over the next few years.
London, United Kingdom (PRWEB UK) 29 August 2014
Many popular vacuum cleaners will soon disappear as new EU regulations will no longer allow manufacturers to produce or import models with a power consumption of more than 1,600 watts after September 1, 2014. Consumers have been urged to buy more powerful models before they sell out.
While a common sales tactic has been to focus on a vacuum cleaner’s wattage, it is a poor indicator of suction power. A new energy label to help consumers make an informed choice is also being introduced, but it remains to be seen if this is a useful tool or a lot of hot air.
According to analysis by comparison website Kagoo.com, the ban will affect a large number of the best selling vacuum cleaners. This includes models made by Vax, Bosch and Miele. However, others like the famous ‘Henry’ vacuum cleaner, which has a 1,200 watt motor, and models produced by Dyson do not exceed the new limit.
The permitted maximum power will be reduced even further to 900 watts by 2017, and manufacturers will be forced to adapt even more of their products. Currently, 89% of the most popular model's input power is rated above this limit according to Kagoo.com.
Thomas Karcher from Kagoo.com said, “Input power is, however, a poor way to measure the effectiveness of a vacuum cleaner. Some manufacturers have started to quote ‘Air Watts,’ which measures the suction power instead of the motor power when adverting their products. We expect to see a dramatic shift towards less power hungry and more efficient vacuum cleaners over the next few years.”
The new energy label for vacuum cleaners will be similar to that already mandatory for other household appliances and show energy efficiency, cleaning performance, noise levels, and dust emissions.
While regulators say the amount of electricity saved equals the output of four power plants, consumers have been sceptical and argued that it will simply take longer when using a less powerful vacuum cleaner.
Kagoo.com, which features a running cost calculator on their website, says that a 2,200 watt vacuum cleaner will use £110 of electricity over five years. By switching to a more efficient 900-watt model, consumers could save £65.