Many household cleaning appliances are not be performing to their required energy efficiency standards, a new report reveals.

A study conducted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), found that 16 out of 24 washing machines and driers tested did not perform as well as they were supposed to.

Four of the washer driers tested were unable to dry loads to the required level, so energy and water measurements could not be compared with the performance declared on the label.

The research suggests that environmentally-conscious domestic cleaners keen on lowering their carbon footprints may not be contributing as much to eco-awareness as they had thought.

Environment minister Dan Norris said more needs to be done to ensure that people can be confident the energy-efficient appliances they purchase live up the standards featured on labels.

"Defra is pushing Europe to revise and extend the A-G energy efficiency labelling system for more products to promote high efficiency products and help consumers choose the best [items] on the market," he said.

"This research highlights the need for these standards to be fully enforced; Defra [has] recently appointed a new market surveillance authority to ensure this happens."

For all your office cleaning needs, please contact your nearest London cleaning company for an instant quote.