EU and Energy Efficiency

Another wonderful plan coming out of regulation central:

Under the plan, the Commission will begin issuing a stream of directives next year setting out "minimum energy performance standards", or "eco-design requirements" for 14 priority product groups.

They will include boilers, water heaters, consumer electronics, copying machines, televisions, standby modes, chargers, lighting, electric motors and other products.

If this goes anything like past plans have they'll specify the technology to be used and in a decade's time we'll all be stuck with something out of date. However, that's not the real gripe here:

It was warmly welcomed yesterday by Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, who said it was a "hugely important" initiative.
...
She said: "The biggest single thing we could do in the short term about climate change is energy efficiency."

Where do they dredge up these stupid fools from ? If you want to increase energy efficiency you should increase the cost of energy! Demand curves do slope downwards you know.

Quick, quick, what was one of the first things that El Gordo did upon taking the reins of the Treasury?  Yes, reducing VAT on domestic heating and energy bills.

They're not serious, this is simply posturing. Anyone who was actually serious about climate change, about energy efficiency, would whack that VAT rate back up to the standard level.

They're not even talking about it, ergo, they're not serious.