The Consumer Council said on Friday bladeless fans with heating functions may not be as energy efficient as some other products on the market. The watchdog found 11 models it tested took longer to heat up the room than traditional fan heaters it tested previously. The models were also found to have different airflow rates. While the average is 16.1 cubic metres per minute, three of them had an airflow rate of 10 cubic metres or less per minute. "When you are talking about the airflow rate for different bladeless fans, we found it quite diverse. The energy efficiency, as well, is also quite diverse. Don't assume the fact that this kind of fans are very similar in terms of energy consumption. In actual fact, there are more energy-saving ones for you to select," said the council's chief executive Gilly Wong. "The more you use energy-efficient appliances, the more you save for your expenses, but furthermore, you help to save the environment as well." The watchdog said by contrast, reverse-cycle air conditioners, which offers both heating and cooling in one system, may be more energy efficient. But Wong said it's ultimately up to consumers to choose what they want to use. "There are pros and cons. If you are talking about the reverse-cycle air conditioner, its heating capacity is much better and energy efficiency is much better," she said. "But when you are talking about the installation, the cost by itself obviously is higher, and also the mobility of it is not there because it's fixed." The council said the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department could consider including different types of electric fans in the Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme, so consumers can compare products.
