Council test of energy saving lamps attests to substantial savings in electricity bills
Imagine a saving of up to 80% of your electricity bill for household illumination!
And all that you have to do is simply to replace your ordinary light bulbs with energy saving Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs).
A Consumer Council test report published today (February 15) in CHOICE has attested conclusively to this substantial cost saving that could be achieved by the use of CFLs.
Included in the test were 17 models with rated power of 6W to 25W which claim to give equivalent brightnessas ordinary light bulbs of 35W to 120W.
In particular for those 9W to 15W models, their initial light output, in some cases, even exceeded that of ordinary light bulbs.
The test affirmed the luminous efficacy (amount of light output produced per unit of electricity) of Compact Fluorescent Lamps to be clearly above that of ordinary light bulbs - by as much as 4 to 5 times.
This means a significant saving of 75% to 80% in electricity bills for lighting. Further, the use of CFLs helps protect the environment from pollution and premature depletion of precious natural resources.
Energy saving CFLs are nevertheless more expensive than ordinary light bulbs; but this initial higher purchase cost should be recovered after a period of time because of their low electricity consumption and relatively long life.
In the case of 11W models, the break even period is approximately 1,300 hours (or 5.5 months if lit 8 hours perday).
CFLs will also become dimmer overtime. In the test, the brightness of the samples when measured after in use for 2,000 hours, dropped by some 10% to 40%.
A new generation of CFLs of increasingly smaller in size - some have size comparable to the ordinary light bulb - has made their debut rendering them easier to suit lamp fittings and replace ordinary bulbs.
Consumers, however, should ensure that the lamp fittings can hold securely the weight of larger and heavier Compact Fluorescent Lamps.
Safety of electric steaming pots put to test
Steaming food electrically, with an electric steaming pot rather than the conventional wok, sounds innovative and convenient. But is it relatively safe?
The Consumer Council has tested 5 models of these electric steaming pots with satisfactory results in respect of protection against access to live parts, electric strength, internal wiring and resistance to heat or fire.
However, 3 of them were found to be not entirely satisfactory in some aspects. These samples failed to comply with the safety standard in at least 1 aspect related to creepage distance, provision for earthing, construction etc.
Inadequate creepage distance (3 samples) separating the internal live parts from the accessible parts of the appliances, and inadequate length of earthing wire (1 sample) might pose a potential risk of electric shock to the users.
Excessive temperature rise on the handles (1 sample) might scald hands to users causing injury to the unwary.
Two samples were also found with drain holes that marginally fail to comply with the required dimension, making it slightly difficult for the water to drain away quickly from the openings and thus accumulate inside the base of the device.
Consumers are advised to use these products with caution, and to cease using the appliance if any abnormal signsare detected and to seek inspection by qualified personnel.
Council test detects animal carcinogen in 1 of 18 plastic food wrap samples
A Consumer Council test on 18 plastic food wraps available to consumers in Hong Kong, has detected an animal carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) in one sample. The substance was identified to be DEHA (di-2-ethylhexyl adipate).
But the "evidence ofcarcinogenicity" of DEHA in humans is still "inadequate". As such it is "not classifiable" as to its carcinogenicity to humans according to the IARC's (International Agency for Research on Cancer) overall evaluation of the carcinogenicity to humans of a chemical.
Nonetheless, DEHA was tested forcarcinogenicity by oral administration in experimental animals. In the test, liver adenomas and carcinomas were found to be produced in mice.
As DEHA is a contaminant in food and therefore undesirable, it is in the interest of consumers to avoid as much as possible any such contaminant in their diet. The UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has issued a similar recommendation for the public that it is prudent, as with any contaminant in food, to reduce the dietary exposure to DEHA substantially.
Consumers are advised to consult the test report in CHOICE and act with due prudence in the choice and use of plastic food wraps.
Included in the test were 18 samples - 12 Polyethylene (PE), 2 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and 4 Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC).
With the exception of one detected with DEHA, all were given a clean bill of health allaying concern that harmful chemicals may pass from the wraps into food.
The test also examined the performance such as tensile strength and heat resistance of the samples. Notably, the PVDC wraps were found to fare considerably better than the PE and PVC samples in that they are less likely to tear while being stretched.
Samples claimed to be suitable for use in a microwave oven performed satisfactorily when heated to 100°C. But only the PVDC microwave wraps could withstand heat to 125°C for 15 minutes without being softened.
Hotel membership privileges are not always what they appear to be as more consumers complain
Consumer complaints related to the marketing of "privileged hotel membership" have been on the rise.
Last year, the Consumer Council received 31 complaints compared to 20 in the preceding year.
In the majority of cases, the complainants were initially approached by a phone call from a hotel persuading them to become a privileged member of the hotel or something of a similar offer.
In return for the payment of a fee, usually from $1,000 to $1,500, they will become a member for one year during which they will be entitled to a package of privileges such as discounted meals, use of hotel facilities or even free room for a night or two, etc.
In one case, according to the complainant, he was led to believe that the membership would be free and was subsequently asked to hand over his credit card number and personal identity data for the purpose of registration.
To his utter surprise, no sooner had the information been disclosed, he was told that an annual fee of $1,288 would be collected. The complainant protested and said he needed more time to reconsider the offer and requested additional information material be sent to him.
Two weeks later, he received instead a membership card and a letter informing him that the annual fee had already been debited from his credit card account.
Immediately he called the hotel to cancel the membership but cancellation, he was told, would entail another $300 as handling fee.
In another case, the complainant paid a fee of $1,388 and was promised, among other privileges, free accommodation for one night in a suite in any one of the 3 hotels under the group.
When she called up to claim her suite, she was told that all rooms at the 3 hotels were fully booked. She tried the following month and again was given the same negative response.
As her membership was due to expire shortly, she requested to be placed on the waiting list. Later she received a call from the hotel informing her that there was no chance of her getting the room as the time coincided with a big trade exhibition in Hong Kong.
In two other cases, both complainants were unable to claim their promised free or discounted rooms. In one case, the reason given was that only a limited number of rooms are made available for such members and once the quota is used up, reservation from members would not be entertained even if there are still rooms available in the hotel.
In the second case, it was revealed that once the occupancy rate of the hotel reaches 95%, no reservation for rooms by the members would be accepted.
Consumers are advised to consider such offers thoroughly taking into account their holiday plan for the next year and whether they are good value for money as most privileges have some kind of restrictions attached. And before you are completely clear about the details of the offer, do not divulge to the other party your personal and credit card data.
Uncovering the complexities of air-ticket pricing and the cheapest fare possible
Ever wonder why air tickets vary so very substantially in price and conditions of use? And how does one obtain the cheapest air ticket possible?
The complexities involved in air ticket pricing are be wildering to the ordinary air travellers. This has led to frequent consumer complaints which totalled 411 and 254 in 1999 and 2000 respectively.
In a comprehensive report, the Consumer Council examines the causes of some typical consumer complaints and draws up for the reference of consumers practical guidance on air ticket booking.
Of particular concern is the practice of some travel agents in presenting on the tickets the confirmed status ("OK") when in fact it is on the wait listed booking status (e.g."RQ" or "SA"). To safeguard their own interest, consumers will do well, apart from obtaining a printed itinerary from the travel agents, to verify the relevant abbreviations and details (name, dates, destinations,validity, etc.) on the ticket at the first instance and to also contact the airline direct to double check the booking status of the ticket.
A source of common consumer complaints is the issue of refund of unused air tickets. The amounts of refundon unused tickets do vary drastically, as with prices of air tickets, depending on the types and the conditions and restrictions. In some cases, there could be no refund at all for the unused portion of the ticket. Consumers are advised to ascertain beforehand such refund conditions.
While both airlines and travel agents impose a service fee for refund, the latter are limited (by the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong) to collect not more than $300 for refund of each totally unused ticket.
Overbooking is a common practice of some airlines, as almost inevitably some passengers may not show up for the flights. Passengers being "bumped off", voluntarily or otherwise, may or may not receive compensation depending on the circumstances and the airlinepolicy. Consumers affected should ask the airlines for appropriate arrangements for onward flights and where applicable compensation.
In general, the more flexible your flight plan, the more discount you are likely to get for your air fare. Even a travel agent may not necessarily quote you the absolute lowest price, the advice is to shop around from reliable agents (check with your friends who are frequent travellers) to find out the best fare and ideal air ticket for your journey.
More tips for finding cheap tickets:
- Plan your travel early but stay flexible, to take advantage of discounted promotional fares, low travel seasons, and even the time and days of week, etc.
- Consider those less frequent flights by some airlines. Also multi-stops flights are generally cheaper than non-stop ones.
Practical tips to avoid those all-too-frequent internet service complaints
Internet services have caused many a consumer complaint in recent years (268 in 1999 rising to 928 in 2000). But these disputes could have been effectively avoided if only consumers have made the effort to pay closer attention to some practical advice.
To assist consumers who may be contemplating, using or even have terminated internet services, the Consumer Council has compiled lists of comprehensive tips and guidance for consumers in this rapidly changing and competitive industry. Here are some of the salient tips to follow:
Before applying for internet service
- Understand the charging method of the service plan, such as whether PNETS charge is included, what is the free storage size, etc.
- Read carefully the terms and conditions on the contract.
For broadband internet service
- Check whether your computer hardware meets the minimum requirements of installing broadband internet.
- Apart from the computer hardware, successful installation also depends on: the coverage of the service providers and the fixed telephone network facilities of the users. Before paying, be sure that installation is feasible in your home.
- Understand the bandwidth of your plan and whether it is wholly used by you or shared with others.
While using the service
- Always check the monthly statements from the service provider and the account for auto-payment, if applicable.
- If the computer is down, try to check your email box through other computers. If the computer could not be repaired in a short period of time, consider, terminating or suspending the internet service.
- Change your login password regularly.
After having terminated the service
- Follow-up the termination process until you receive confirmation from the company.
- Some service providers may retain the customers' email addresses after termination. If you agree this, remember to check the email box regularly or forward the email to other addresses, otherwise, you may need to pay for the storage if the accumulated emails exceed the free storage size.