This is all an attempt to save the world from Bad Weather due to the statistically insignificant temperature increase of 0.14F since 1997 and miniscule 0.28F since 1990
(No Tricks Zone) Incandescent light bulbs have already been removed from the shelves. Next being removed are larger size vacuum cleaners. Germany’s online flagship daily the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reports: “Beginning September 2014 in the EU only vacuum cleaners that consume less than 1600 watts may be sold. From 2017 only a maximum of 900 watts will be allowed.â€
The FAZ writes that the ban was very quietly passed by Brussels some weeks ago, going unnoticed by the public.
Vacuum cleaners will also carry a sticker informing the consumer of the appliance’s energy efficiency rating. The EU thinks it can save energy by forcing consumers to buy only small appliances.
Whether the intrusion by the state will have an effect on overall electricity consumption remains a question. Smaller vacuum cleaners will only mean that housewives (and many husbands, of course) will have to spend twice as long vacuuming to get the house clean, and so may end up using even more electricity. This is the latest Brussels eco-justified intrusion into the free market and our private lives.
Both the German article and No Tricks Zone note that most manufacturers are not resisting, since vacuums tend to be below that 1600 watts threshold already. But no more than 900 watts might be a stretch, since the average wattage for vacuums is 1200. Heck, my Bissell vacuum is around 1200 watts. Commercial vacuums are much larger.
Regardless, what we see here is Government interfering more and more in the lives of citizens and the private marketplace, all for a ginned up issue, “climate change”, which is used to enact those controls. This is what progressives do, as they push their fascistic Big Government.
Oh dear leader politicians, save us from our large vacuum cleaners. We can’t and are unable to choose for ourselves and thus we need to be forced to buy what you force companies to produce.
We are incapable of individual thought or choice and thus the choices need to be limited and then made for us.
Without that, we might choose something that works for us.
Honestly, there are plenty of really great machines that will be acceptable regarding the new requirements. It doesn’t hurt to use less energy, of course. However, like you mentioned, commercial vacuums are going to be affected the most. It could potentially cost cleaning companies more money in the long run to switch to less power-consuming units. It will be interesting to see where this goes.