In February 2003 the Government unveiled its Energy White Paper: Our energy future – creating a low carbon economy. The paper seeks to introduce step changes to the way in which the UK produces and consumes energy. It outlines a clear strategy to reduce harmful emissions over the next 50 years with energy efficiency at the heart of this.

The White Paper aims to deliver savings through higher product standards, ensuring that products and appliances are as efficient as possible. To achieve this, it states we need to remove the least efficient products from the market, encourage competition to bring forward improved products, and make it easier for people and businesses to choose the best. Ways to do so include minimum standards, voluntary agreements with industry, fiscal measures, procurement policy, and better information on product performance.

All these policy measures require access to reliable public domain product information by a growing number of third parties and UK EPIC offers a forum to make this product information available.