The European Commission has decided on new targets, with which four terawatt hours of electricity are to be saved annually by 2030.
In the future, electronic devices such as washing machines, televisions and portable game consoles will have to consume less electricity in standby mode. The European Commission decided on the relevant requirements on Monday, as the Brussels authorities announced on Monday. The Commission estimates that this will save four terawatt hours (TWh) per year by 2030 – twice Malta’s annual electricity consumption.
The measures should not only be good for the environment, but also good for the wallet: consumers should save around 530 million euros a year by 2030. “In this way, climate protection and consumer protection go hand in hand,” said Anna Cavazzini, MEP from the Green Party and Chair of the Internal Market Committee in the European Parliament.
800 million products sold per year
According to the EU Commission, most electronic devices still use electricity when they are switched off or in standby mode. Rules have been in effect since 2008, which were last updated in 2013 and affect around 800 million products sold each year.
According to the Commission, the new regulation takes into account the technological developments of recent years and also applies to small network devices and wireless loudspeakers, for example. The new requirements are to come into force shortly and give manufacturers a two-year transition period.
(APA/dpa)