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Ten days left to hoover up a powerful Cleaner
Anyone wanting to buy a powerful vacuum cleaner has only ten days left to buy one - following new EU rules that come in next month.
From 1 September, companies in the EU will be banned from making or importing vacuum cleaners above 1600 watts. Hoover - based in South Wales - said that most of its cleaners were in that category. It has been replacing its models since July with less powerful versions, but a few are still left on the shelves. The consumer organisation Which? says many of the models involved were rated as "best buys" by its researchers. In one recent study, five of the top seven cleaners had motors of more than 1600 watts. The new European rules are part of the EU's energy efficiency directive, designed to help tackle climate change.
Among the models which will soon no longer be available are:
- Hoover Spirit TSP2101 (2100w)
- Miele S5281 (2200w)
- Samsung CycloneForce Sensor (2100w)
- Bosch BSG8PRO1 ( 1800w)
No models made by Dyson are affected, as all the motors on their machines are below 1600w.
Court Challenge
The new EU directive on energy efficiency will also require manufacturers to put an energy rating on the box. From 1 September, vacuum cleaners will be given seven different ratings, from A to G. This includes measuring the performance on hard floors, carpets, and how much dust is emitted. But the Dyson group is challenging this aspect of the new rules, and has applied for a judicial review of the EU directive. It argues that the performance criteria do not include testing a vacuum cleaner when there is already dirt inside it - what it calls "dust-loaded". Dyson also says that 126m cleaner bags and filters from new vacuum cleaners end up in landfill across the EU every year. Yet the new labelling system does not reflect the impact of used bags and filters on the environment.....Read more here
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