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LG Electronics in Australia could be forced to modify the circuit boards on their French door refrigerators after the US Department of Energy said that the LG models were improperly certified as Energy Star compliant.
The investigation by the US DOE came about after testing showed that several LG appliances did not comply with energy star certification and that several Countries selling the French door refrigerators could be affected.
According to TWICE Magazine in the USA LG has agreed to compensate owners, modify unsold inventory and remove five current models from the Energy Star program.
LG told the DOE that they rated the refrigerators on the basis of a standard test procedure that has been widely used for nearly 30 years by the Korean manufacturer who has also said that all of French door refrigerators are made in the same plant using the same components.
LG said it didn’t take into account different applications of the testing rules for newer technologies used in the latest energy-efficient products. Specifically, DOE said LG didn’t set the refrigerators’ temperature-controllable compartments to their coldest levels, a requirement for energy-usage measurements.
To qualify for an Energy Star rating, refrigerator-freezers must use at least 20 percent less power than the US government-mandated standard.
The modifications which are set to cost LG millions, involve replacing the ice maker’s circuit board and reprogramming the fridge. This will make the units more energy efficient but not Energy Star compliant.
According to LG spokesman John Taylor, LG will also provide consumers with a one-time cash payment covering the difference between the energy rating listed on the original EnergyGuide label and the restated energy rating, plus annual payments for future incremental energy usage for the expected useful life of the appliance, up to 14 years.
LG Australia have said that they are investigating the issue.
