Fridges, washing machines and televisions will soon be cheaper to run, easier to repair and will last longer thanks to plans for new energy efficiency legislation recently announced by the Government.

Termed ‘Right to Repair’, new rules will be brought in for electrical products, to tackle ‘premature obsolescence’ (a short lifespan deliberately built into an appliance by manufacturers), which leads to unnecessary and costly replacements for the consumer.

From this Summer, manufacturers will be legally obliged to make spare parts for products available to consumers for the first time, so that electrical appliances can be fixed easily. The move is expected to extend the lifespan of products by up to ten years, preventing appliances ending up being scrapped or recycled sooner than they should, and reducing carbon emissions at the same time.

For further details see the Government’s Electrical Appliances press release.