Maidenhead & Windsor

Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough car dealers have been praised for the standard of the energy efficiency information they provide for their customers.

Trading standards officers have given the thumbs-up to car dealers across the Windsor and Maidenhead borough following a regional project which saw seven different local car dealerships checked for their "green" credentials – and subsequently given a high rating for the quality of the fuel efficiency facts they display on their cars.

Results show that all seven dealers visited recently were displaying "big, bright and colourful" energy efficiency labels on all the cars in their showrooms – labels similar in design to the labels on many white goods such as fridges and freezers.

Cllr Colin Rayner, lead member for the Windsor and Maidenhead environment, said: "Never before have customers been more informed on green issues and the importance of responsible buying, so it is vital that the right fuel efficiency information is provided in a variety of ways for them to make informed choices."

Trading standards manager Steve Johnson said: "We are encouraged and reassured to see that standards among car dealers in our area are generally at a high when it comes to providing green information – especially with the bright and colourful energy efficiency labels used by all the dealers we visited."

Also monitored during the trading standards project was the legal obligation for car dealers to display information on fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions on A3 posters for all new models of car. When the dealers were first visited, only half were found to be complying with this legal requirement – but following the visits by trading standards officers all are now complying with the practice and displaying information posters.

For further information about the project contact Rob Abell, fair trading officer, on 01628 683558.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead