12 October 2007

Fridges, plasma TVs, not being banned

Energy Minister David Parker has moved to allay concerns the government wants to outlaw plasma TVs and old fridges.

As part of the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy released yesterday, the government announced a plan to retire old, inefficient fridges, through a trade-in pilot programme.

“This means financial incentives for people to get rid of, for instance, an old, second fridge sitting in their garage or shed. These are usually not used very much, but are left on to guzzle electricity. Owners are likely to save money by upgrading or doing without,” David Parker said.

“This will be a voluntary programme. People will only do it if it makes sense for them, but part of our programme will be explaining to people why it might make sense.”

David Parker also responded to reports regarding plasma TVs.

“The government does not ban appliances but it does set minimum energy standards for appliances.

“We already put ENERGY STAR labels on fridges and dishwashers, and don’t allow the most inefficient of these into the country, thereby saving consumers money on their power bills and reducing the country’s need for new generation.

“We’re proposing to do the same with televisions, so that consumers are able to buy energy efficient models, including efficient versions of plasma TVs.”

ENDS

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