Investigation concludes there is no need for a national recall of Hotpoint FF175B appliances

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The model of Hotpoint fridge-freezer blamed for starting the Grenfell Tower fire does not need to undergo a national recall, an independent investigation has concluded.

Consumers are advised they can continue to use the Hotpoint FF175B model “as normal” without any modification, after it was deemed to pose a low risk.

The business secretary, Greg Clark, ordered an examination of the FF175B after it was identified by the Metropolitan police as being involved in the west London fire that killed 71 people in June last year.

Independent experts tested the remains recovered from the fourth floor of Grenfell Tower, as well as other appliances of the same model.

Tens of thousands of this type of fridge-freezer were made between 2006 and 2009 and consumers still using them were advised after the tragedy to contact Whirlpool, the owner of Hotpoint.

On Tuesday the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced the review’s findings that “the product met legal safety requirements and that the risk associated with the model is assessed as low”.

Whirlpool said a second investigation, by its product safety experts, also found no evidence of any fault with the model FF175BP or its sister model, FF175BG. Owners of the FF175B can contact the company via the freephone hotline 0800 316 3826 or www.hotpointservice.co.uk/fridgefreezer.



A Whirlpool spokesman said: “We wish to reassure consumers that these models are safe and that people may continue to use them as normal. We have fully cooperated with BEIS as it undertook its investigations, and it has now confirmed that there are no concerns with these models.”

The consumer group Which? urged Whirlpool to clarify whether the model had a flammable plastic backing. Its chief executive, Peter Vicary-Smith, said: “Our tests show that plastic-backed fridges are a potential fire risk and should be withdrawn from sale.”