Fridges, freezers, televisions and washing machines are to have minimum energy standards and energy labels following an EU ruling.

Minimum standards will ensure that only energy efficient products are sold in the European market. Mandatory energy labelling will help consumers choose the most energy efficient products for their homes, which will help reduce their energy bills.

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Circulators - the small pumps used on central heating systems - will also have new minimum energy standards applied.

Together these measures will reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the UK by around 2 million tonnes per annum. They will also deliver a net benefit to the UK economy of around £150 million per annum, mostly in the form of reduced householders' annual energy bills. This is the first time that minimum energy efficiency standards and labelling have been set for televisions and means that the least efficient televisions will be removed from the EU market and mandatory labelling introduced from mid 2010.

(CD/JM)