A new EU proposal could have a drastic impact on Irish people’s tea-drinking habits

Nooooooo!

Few countries in the world are renowned for their love of tea as much as we are here in Ireland, but our relationship with the beloved hot drink could be about to change dramatically in the near future. According to The Telegraph, the EU are proposing a ban on high-powered appliances like toasters, hair dryers and perhaps most ominously, kettles, later this year in a plan to cut carbon emissions. The Telegraph report that the plans have been in place for a number of months, but have been shelved for the time being for fear they might affect the upcoming ‘Brexit’ referendum in Great Britain. They love their tea, toast and eh, bone-dry hair across the pond as much as we do over here, after all. Plans to push ahead with a ban on these energy-inefficient devices after the Brexit referendum were reportedly revealed by Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, at the weekly College of Commissioners meeting last month. It was acknowledged in the meeting that plans attracted ridicule in certain sections of the media, while several products might be excluded from the ban because of the potential outcry from the public. A decision on what products to regulate will be taken at a meeting that will be overseen by Juncker at a later date. Here’s hoping our beloved kettles live to fight another day, because if they don’t…