New Washing Machines, Toilets Must Be Water-Efficient|水利署省水標章 今起正式上路!
Starting this month, washing machines and toilets must have water efficiency labels in order to be sold on the market. The Ministry of Economic Affairs' Water Resources Agency says once all washing machines and toilets on the market have been upgraded, enough water will be saved every year to fill Mingde Reservoir. According to the Water Resources Agency, washing machines, toilets and other appliances that require two cycles of water account for 41 percent of total water usage in Taiwan. Starting this month, washing machines and toilets cannot be sold unless they have a water efficiency label. Many manufacturers began updating their models two years ago. Most people don't take the color of the label into consideration when choosing (a washing machine). We will do more promotion to let consumers know the benefits of a gold label. There are two kinds of water efficiency labels: blue or ordinary, and gold or superior. Older machines require 35 kilograms of water to wash a 1-kilogram load of laundry, compared to 20 kilograms for blue-label machines and 15 kilograms for gold-label machines. However, many consumers say they wouldn't buy a machine just for its label. I care more about durability than water efficiency. When I'm shopping for a washing machine, I look first at brand and then function. The agency says Taiwan will save 1.28 million cubic meters of water a year once all washing machines and toilets on the market are upgraded. The next step will be the promotion of water-efficient faucets.
