Millions of Brits may have been misled into buying energy efficient TVs by Samsung and LG, after the firms supposedly ‘exploited’ tests
Samsung and LG are said to have 'exploited' flaws in government tests
SAMSUNG and LG have been accused of "exploiting" flaws in government tests to make them seem more energy efficient than they actually are.
The South Korean electronics firms are embroiled in a row that brings to mind the Volkswagen scandal, after they supposedly "manipulated" tests to make them appear more energy-efficient, misleading millions of customers who bought the TV sets because they believed they would use less power.
In September last year, research by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), a US environmental advocacy group, found that Samsung and LG appeared to be taking advantage of flaws in the government’s method for testing the energy use of televisions.
It found that just a few clicks on a remote control could lead many 2015 and 2016 TV sets from Samsung and LG to consume double the amount of energy suggested by the manufacturers.
The NRDC said that Samsung and LG had appeared to take advantage of loopholes in the government tests by designing TVs to get a better score.
It means that millions of people in the US, and potentially in the UK, paid a premium for energy efficient TVs even though they aren't any more cost-effective than normal TVs.
Samsung is the UK’s most popular TV brand, and millions of households in Britain have one.
At the time of the research coming out, Noah Horowitz from the NRDC, said: “It appears that some major manufacturers have modified their TV designs to get strong energy-use marks during government testing but they may not perform as well in consumers’ homes.
"These ‘under the hood’ changes dramatically increase a TV’s energy use and environmental impact, usually without the user’s knowledge."
Mr Horowitz added: "While this may not be illegal, it smacks of bad-faith conduct that falls outside the intent of the government test method designed to accurately measure TV energy use.”
While the problem was first found in 2015, in sets sold in the US, now the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) has commissioned research looking into TVs sold in Europe, including in the UK.
According to the , the EEB - which will publish its results in the spring - wants to find out if the distorted tests were down to a "cheat device".
Both firms previously denied deliberately trying to mislead US customers.
The Sun Online contacted the firms for comment on the European investigation, and while Samsung declined to comment, LG said: "Contrary to the claims made by the US-based National Resources Defense Council on television energy use, LG does not and never has designed its TVs to deliver false energy efficiency results.”
The scandal follows the Volkswagen emissions scandal - otherwise known as "dieselgate" - of September 2015, when the car manufacturer admitted that 482,000 of its diesel vehicles in the US were fitted with software to switch engines to a cleaner mode when they were being tested for emissions.
UK drivers who bought one of the affected cars had paid a premium for what they thought was a clean diesel car.
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