Another European Directive That Really Sucks…EU Now Banning “Energy-Hungry” Home Appliances
The EU is now in the process of taking away larger size electric appliances from consumers, saying they consume too much energy. Small appliances are enough for the citizens.
EU banning “energy-hungry” vacuum cleaners
Incandescent light bulbs have already been removed from the shelves. Next being removed are larger size vacuum cleaners. Germany’s online flagship daily the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports: “Beginning September 2014 in the EU only vacuum cleaners that consume less than 1600 watts may be sold. From 2017 only a maximum of 900 Watts will be allowed.”
Hat-tip: DirkH
The FAZ writes that the ban was very quietly passed by Brussels some weeks ago, going unnoticed by the public.
Vacuum cleaners will also carry a sticker informing the consumer of the appliance’s energy efficiency rating. The EU thinks it can save energy by forcing consumers to buy only small appliances.
Whether the intrusion by the state will have an effect on overall electricity consumption remains a question. Smaller vacuum cleaners will only mean that housewives (and many husbands, of course) will have to spend twice as long vacuuming to get the house clean, and so may end up using even more electricity. This is the latest eco-justified intrusion by Brussels into the free market and the private lives of citizens.
What’s next?
To be fair, the FAZ does write that the manufacturers of vacuum cleaners have pretty much accepted the law without protest, as most cleaners are already below the 1600-watt limit. However, a couple of high-end vacuum cleaner manufacturers, such as Vorwerk, are resisting.
The FAZ writes that not only light bulbs and vacuum cleaners are targeted for higher efficiency, but also an entire range of appliances. This is all in the wake of the European Ecodesign Directive, which will go into effect on November 1st for clothes dryers. “For condensation tumbler dryers, the weighted condensation efficiency must not be less than 60 percent.”
This latest additional government encroachment into private lives is necessary, European bureaucrats think. Citizens have to stop wasting and it’s past time to rescue the planet from dangerous climate change, so claim the nannies in Brussels and other European capitals. It’s all for our own good.
How could people ever accept being treated like irresponsible children who need to be nannied 24 hours a day? Surely if a poll were taken in Europe, a majority of citizens indeed would agree that they really are too stupid to make their own personal decisions and so it’s best that the state decides simple things, like the purchase of an appliance, for them.
A large part of the European citizens have been brainwashed into believing this.
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