New tumble dryer 'ban' announced and what it means for you

New UK regulations mean people in the UK can expect a ban on the sale of new, inefficient condenser and vented tumble dryers 'as soon as time allows'. Updated Ecodesign legislation, which enables the government to set minimum energy performance standards, is being proposed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to lower residential energy consumption and protect consumers from high running costs. In a recently published document, entitled " Raising standards for household tumble dryers ", the Government issued its response to the consultation on raising standards for household tumble dryers and confirmed the final policy decisions. It sets out its intention to introduce a statutory instrument, which "will both raise minimum energy performance standards and reform energy labelling requirements for household tumble dryers sold in Great Britain". The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) states that the measure "would effectively phase out the sale of more inefficient" dryers. It continues: "To meet our net zero target, it is crucial to reduce energy consumption from domestic appliances. Phasing out the least energy-efficient household tumble dryers could contribute to achieving the targets set in the fifth and sixth carbon budgets." Which? says: "Despite what some media headlines may lead you to believe, not all tumble dryers (or even all condenser tumble dryers) are going to disappear from retailers overnight, so there's no need to panic-buy one. It's part of a multi-faceted set of regulations aiming to 'raise the standards' for household tumble dryers and make them more efficient." This means that, when the law is introduced, all tumble dryers sold in the UK will have to meet the following requirements: Use new, revised A-G energy labels - which will make it easier to tell which machines are the most efficient. Have a maximum Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) of 85 - this is a measure of how much energy an appliance consumes during use. Feature an 'eco' program - this should be either the default setting or easily selectable alongside the 'main' and other options. Use minimal power on standby - new, stricter limits mean machines can use a maximum of 0.50W of power when not in use. Make spare parts more accessible - items like drums and motors should be available for 10 years from the launch of the product. Meet a minimum 80% condensation efficiency rate - to help reduce the risk of damp and mould in homes. These regulations align more closely with the current EU standards for appliance efficiency and are part of a wider net-zero push across the board. Which? says: "Ultimately, these requirements mean that the majority of tumble dryers available to buy will be heat pump models. There is potential for the most efficient condenser dryers to remain on sale, but these would truly have to be the best of the best to tick all of the appropriate boxes." As for vented tumble dryers, the consumer group says that unless manufacturing methods are significantly altered, they use far too much energy to come close to meeting the new requirements. "So you can wave goodbye to the idea of buying one of those when the new regulations come in", it adds. Rebecca Jakeman, Which? senior researcher, said: "I think it's about time consumers were better protected against inefficient appliances that really ramp up energy bills , and these new regulations are very well-placed to do that. Don't be fearmongered into believing heat pump dryers are overpriced, inefficient and dangerous - because absolutely none of those are true." When heat pump dryers first hit the market, they were considered a 'premium' option, and it would've been tricky to get your hands on one for less than £500. Today, however, they're much more affordable. While the technology involved means they'll likely never be as cheap as entry-level vented and condenser models, they're no longer out of reach for most. The average price of heat pump tumble dryers Which? has tested is just over £600, but there are some models on sale for less than £300. Some premium models cost over £1,000. Heat pump models dry at cooler temperatures than condensers, which means the cycles tend to run for longer. Because they're slower, some people believe that heat pumps cost more to run, but Which? says that's far from the truth. The trade-off for longer programs is much lower energy use. The average heat pump dryer Which? has tested costs £52 a year to run, compared to £130 annually for the average condenser. If you opted for the most energy efficient heat pump Which? tested recently, it would add a £34 to your energy bills each year. The consumer group estimate the average life cycle of a tumble dryer to be around 20 years. This would mean a total average saving of £1,560 in your energy bills over that time. The main difference between condensers and heat pumps is the method they use to dry your clothes. Condensers repeatedly heat up cold air, usually to 70-75C, whereas heat pumps reuse the warm air already inside the drum and don't tend to get much hotter than 50C. Both models collect moisture from wet clothes into a water reservoir as standard (for best performance, manufacturers typically recommend emptying the water tank after every load). With heat pump dryers, you usually have the option to plumb it in and have water drain directly into a drainpipe. As condenser dryers operate at higher temperatures, they tend to dry clothes faster. Which? says heat pumps can often take almost twice as long to dry the same amount of clothing, according to its tests. Which? adds: "The trade-off for longer programs, though, is much lower energy use. Even though we often see condenser dryers with a 'B' rating under the current system energy labelling system, don't be fooled – they're nowhere near as efficient as heat pumps." Which? explains: "Heat pump tumble dryers are just as safe as condenser and vented models, and no more or less likely to catch fire as long as you're using them safely. We have seen incidents around Whirlpool tumble dryers and Haier-manufactured dryers in recent years, but these were the result of manufacturing issues, rather than user error." See below for Which?'s six-point plan to make sure you're drying clothes as safely as you can: Never overfill a tumble dryer Avoid stopping the dryer mid-cycle Clean the lint filter after each use Never leave the dryer running when you're out or asleep Don't dry anything with oil on it Clean the heat exchanger regularly.