Channel NewsAsia 27 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE: From April 1, washing machines that are not water efficient will no longer be sold in stores.
Singapore's national water agency PUB said only those with one or more ticks are allowed for sale.
The more ticks a product has, the more water efficient it is.
Moving forward, PUB said it intends to raise the minimum requirement for washing machines from one tick to two ticks in 2015.
A one-tick washing machine can save 81 litres of water per wash for a 7kg laundry load.
Those with two and three ticks can save 102 litres and 112 litres of water, respectively.
PUB said sales of washing machines with three ticks have increased by 17 per cent from 55,174 units sold in 2011 to 79,309 units in 2013.
"Laundry is the third most water-consuming activity at home and accounts for 19 per cent of an average family's monthly water consumption.
"PUB has been working with suppliers and retailers to provide clear labelling to indicate the water efficiency of every washing machine. This will help consumers to make an informed choice when buying one," said Chong Hou Chun, director of Water Supply Network at PUB.
Showers and washing in the kitchen sink top the chart as the two most water-consuming activities at home at 29 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively.
- CNA/nd
Only water efficient washing machines to be sold from next month
Today Online 27 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE — From next month, consumers can only buy water-efficient washing machines from stores.
The island’s most water-inefficient washing machines — those with zero ticks under the Government’s Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (MWELS) — will be pulled off the shelves in a move to conserve water.
The scheme assigns a number of ticks according to how water a machine saves. A one-tick washing machine can save 81 litres with every 7kg wash, a two-tick and three-tick washing machine can conserve up to 102 and 112 litres of water respectively.
Moving ahead, PUB intends to raise the minimum requirement for washing machines to two ticks by next year.
PUB said domestic water demand is as high as 180 gallons daily, with laundry washing considered the third most water-consuming activity. This latest move is part of its efforts to encourage the use of more water-efficient household water appliances.
Sales of three-tick washing machines have picked up by 17 per cent, from 55,174 in 2011 to 79,309 last year. Market penetration rose from 37 per cent to 54 per cent between October 2011 and September 2013.
“It helps us to save water and save money,” said Ms Elsa, an owner of a three-tick washing machine. “In addition, we also reuse the rinse water to flush toilet.”
