THE LATEST ELECTRICAL GOODS INDUSTRY NEWS
CALL FOR RETAILERS TO KEEP DOORS AND WINDOWS OPEN TO MINIMISE COVID TRANSFER RISK Retail outlets across the UK are being asked to keep doors and windows open to allow air to move more freely throughout premises to reduce airborne transmission of Covid-19.
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t is reported that 91% of all Covid-19 patients are infected indoors, so the latest advice is to keep air flowing through buildings to mitigate transfer risks where people congregate. According to the UK Government, steps that will usually be needed are: 1. Increasing the existing ventilation rate by adjusting the fan speed. 2.Operating the ventilation system when there are people in the building. 3.Monitoring and managing filters in accordance to manufacturer instructions. 4.Keeping doors and windows open if possible. 5.Using ceiling fans to improve air circulation, provided there is good ventilation. “Those of us in the air conditioning business have been banging this home for years,” said Libby Jones from Air Conditioning installer AirCon.co.uk. “Fresh circulated air is healthier air. You don’t need a fancy system to do this, just keep a steady flow of fresh air by opening doors and windows. “There are some simple things we can do to reduce risk of transmission within any building, and it all comes down to common sense. The usual washing hands, wearing a mask and keeping distance – but where air is not being exchanged in congested areas it raises
the risks of an infected person’s cough being recirculated around a room. “It is all about being aware that stale air can carry airborne particles of Covid-19. Changing habits can reduce the risk massively.”
OPEN WINDOWS & DOORS FOR 20 MINUTES PER HOUR Regular “shock ventilation” is recommended to change the air in rooms. This means opening windows and doors on a regular basis to allow stale air to be exchanged for fresh air. “In a shop this can be tricky,” said Jones, “but the concept is clear – the more air you extract and replace with fresh, the healthier the air. This is a habit we all need to be better at because even in post-Covid years ahead (yes, they do exist) we can all help by sticking to a clean-air regime. “The Germans are going big-time into education about ventilation – they call it Stosslüften, meaning “shock ventilation”, and its effects on transmission rates of the virus indoors are incredibly positive. If you think about it this winter, that’s the danger zone, we will be spending more time inside and we need to wise-up to simple ventilation habits. “If everyone can reduce their ability to transmit the virus just a little bit, we can all help bring down the chances of passing it around.”
FOCUS ON COMMUNITY SPIRIT MARKS 10-YEAR BLOMBERG AND EURONICS PARTNERSHIP
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eko brand Blomberg marked its 10th year with the launch of its first connected range of washing machines and washer dryers and a four-door American fridge freezer – another first for the brand. As the exclusive brand for Euronics agents, a ‘no purchase necessary’ Blomberg window display competition focusing on community spirit has also been launched. The display aims to encourage consumers to nominate their local hero to win £2,500 worth of Blomberg appliances and offer retailers the opportunity to win ‘Euronics Best Dressed Blomberg Window’. The competition will recognise one overall winner and seven regional prizes will also be on offer. Winners will be notified before 4th December 2020.
THE WORD
WHIRLPOOL COMMITS SUPPORT FOR RETAILERS THROUGH NEW ENERGY LABEL CHANGES Whirlpool UK has committed to supporting retailers through forthcoming changes in the energy labelling system by embracing the new framework and educating consumers on the changes that are to be introduced from March 2021.
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he existing labelling system has grown more complex as products have become more efficient, with additional ‘+’ classes added to describe products that surpass the original A rating. The new Energy Labelling Framework Regulation mandates the use of new labels with a simpler scale. The current plus classes (e.g. A+++, A++ and A+) will be replaced by a less confusing, uniform energy consumption scale from A to G. The new scale will still use the current seven-step colour scale.
A PHASED INTRODUCTION The transition to the new labels will take place in a couple of stages in advance of the introduction of the first labels. The first appliances to use the new labels from March 2021 are dishwashers, washing machines, washer-dryers and refrigerators including wine storage appliances and freezers. From the second half of 2020, there will be a transition period when appliance manufacturers will need to include both the new label and the old label in the product packaging for any product placed on sale before the deadline of the 1st March 2021, after which any new products in the abovementioned appliance categories brought to market will be sold only with the new label.
HOW THE LABELS ARE DIFFERENT While the new labels share the same seven-step colour scale, one-to-one conversion between the old and new energy classes is not possible. To drive the market towards increasingly resource-efficient appliances in future, the revised grading system intentionally makes it more difficult for current products to receive the best energy ratings compared with the previous label. As a result, only the very best performing products will now gain an A rating. Where products have both labels during the transition period it will be important to explain these differences. “At Whirlpool, we want to help explain the new regulations so consumers won’t be confused. This is why we are taking the opportunity to publicise the changes,” said Andrzej Tuleja, General Manager, UK and Ireland, Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited. “When buying a new appliance, consumers may find that due to the revision, many energy-efficient products that were previously at the top of the list will now be placed in lower classes. It is therefore important to make clear that the way in which the energy classification is communicated via the label has been changed, but the efficiency of the product is the same as before.” Other product categories, including ovens, tumble dryers and specialist cooling appliances, will transition to the new label from 2022, so the older-style label will still be used on these products until that point. The new labels will offer consumers a built-in way to get a clear understanding of a product’s energy performance and other characteristics. Each new label includes a QR code that consumers can scan with their smartphones to view comprehensive noncommercial information about a product via the new European Product Database for Energy Labelling (EPREL).
SEPT/OCT 2020
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