Chris Huhne

PLASMA TVs WILL CAUSE BIG RISE IN EMISSIONS – HUHNE

Increased energy use by new LCD and Plasma TV sets will lead to a substantial rise in carbon emissions by 2010, according to new research released today by the Liberal Democrats.

The main findings of the research are:

·Newer Plasma and LCD televisions use more than two and a half times the energy of old cathode ray sets. The proportion of TVs of these types will more than double by 2010, increasing from 6 million sets today to 14 million sets by 2010.

·There are 63 million sets in the UK, more than one set per person. There will be a further 6% increase in the number of television sets, up to 67 million, by 2010.

·The extra energy used by Plasma/LCD televisions equates to an average increase in bills of £58.50 per year. This equates to a total of £500 million by 2010.

·Emissions resulting from television use will increase 70% by the end of the century – to 1.7 million tonnes a day, offsetting 4% of the cuts needed to meet the Government’s emission targets.

Liberal Democrats are calling for the energy rating scheme, currently limited to ‘white goods’, to be expanded to include all electronic equipment.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

“It is astonishing just how much power these new TVs use.

“Households who have bought a plasma TV may have a nasty surprise when their electricity bills suddenly jump.

“The energy used by TVs is already leading to tonnes of carbon being released every year. The energy rating scheme must be expanded, so that consumers can know how much energy each appliance they buy will use.

“The experience with ‘white goods’ suggests that labelling should work well to change behaviour, but if it does not then the Government could also examine a charge on the purchaser of equipment that is particularly energy inefficient compared with similar products on the market.”