Electric heating brand leader Dimplex has welcomed a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which has found the manufacturer’s claims regarding storage heating performance to be accurate and realistic.
The verdict was delivered following extensive investigation by the ASA of a complaint that Dimplex’s assertions for storage heating performance were misrepresentative. However, the independent watchdog found that none of the four points made in the complaint were valid and none were upheld.
Chris Stammers, marketing director for trade and independents at Dimplex, says: “Dimplex has been a trusted name in the heating market for over 60 years and we have always been scrupulously truthful with the information we provide about our products.
“We are happy with the ASA’s findings and the fact that the decision underwrites the claims we make, but we are not surprised by the verdict. At Dimplex we trade on truth and trust, and we are not in the business of misleading our customers. That’s why we’re the number one brand.”
The ASA rigorously investigates thousands of complaints each year with the goal of ensuring advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful. The objections in this case centred on Dimplex’s statements that a static storage heater’s performance will not deteriorate over time, that it will always be cheaper to run over a 16 hour day than direct acting heaters on the day-rate, that it is 100 percent efficient and therefore unbeatable by traditional heating methods, and that it has no moving parts and is maintenance-free for life.
In reaching its decision in Dimplex’s favour, the ASA consulted in depth with experts from leading industry body BRE as well as the government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), with the approval of Dimplex’s claims by these three major authorities providing a sound endorsement of the manufacturer’s integrity.
The ASA’s ruling can be read in full at: www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2013/1/GDC-Group-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_204744.aspx.
