“The European Council will force Spain to gradually eliminate gas and diesel boilers.” This is the phrase mentioned in an advertising campaign launched by Iberdrola last February on radio and television, which Autocontrol, the advertising self-regulatory body in Spain, has described as “misleading”. He declared this in a resolution dated April 26 to which “La Vanguardia” has had access. Autocontrol has spoken out based on a complaint from Repsol, in what represents a new confrontation between the two energy companies. Let us remember that Iberdrola filed a lawsuit against Repsol for “greenwashing” in a Santander court.
The Iberdrola campaign promoted the replacement of “gas and diesel boilers” with aerothermal energy, an alternative to generate heat in homes with electrical energy. To encourage the consumer, the aforementioned European standard was cited. The campaign was denounced by Repsol, which considered that the electricity company was giving false information since consumers could think that the change was mandatory for all boilers, when the directive refers to those that run on “fossil fuels.” That is, it considers that those that use renewable gases, such as biogas or biomethane, which Repsol and other companies in Spain are promoting, can continue to operate.
In the resolution, Autocontrol rejects Iberdrola’s argument of justifying its offer based on “discussions, debates or evaluations” that have not been formally approved. “In addition to not complying with the principle of truthfulness, it seems that it would go against the interests of consumers, since they would constantly receive messages regarding certain new obligations or prohibitions that, in many cases, will not be approved.” In addition, Autocontrol also emphasizes that the reference made in the directive refers to “the prohibition of marketing a certain type of new boilers, not the prohibition of using existing ones with other types of fuel.” Iberdrola questions the authority of Autocontrol, since it is not part of this body in which companies that advertise in the media, including Repsol itself, are represented.
Consulted by “La Vanguardia”, Iberdrola claims that the concept “gas boilers in the context of the campaign is not susceptible to misleading” and that the terms used in its advertising are in line with those used by the Union directive. European Union that was approved on April 12. “Iberdrola limited itself to anticipating what has ended up happening with respect to the approval of the directive, offering a quality product and service (aerothermal) in view of the gradual decarbonization process in the European Union which is, clearly, inevitable” , he assures.
For this reason, it shows “its disagreement with the latest resolutions on advertising against the electricity company,” and has announced that “it will start a new commercial campaign promoting aerothermal energy as a gradual replacement for boilers that burn fossils.”
That is, it insists on the message of the electric solution as the best alternative for the decarbonization of heating in homes, but in this case it will use the term “boilers that burn fossils”, which is the one that has been accepted by Autocontrol and the one that uses the European Union directive.
Specifically, on March 12, the European Commission gave its approval, in the absence of definitive agreement from the Council of the EU, in principle a formality, of the directive relating to the energy efficiency of buildings, which states that Fossil fuel boilers must disappear in 2040, and in 2025 all incentives for their installation will end.
