The new EU Regulation setting a framework for energy labelling, simplifying and updating the energy efficiency labelling requirements for products sold in the EU, has been published in the EU’s Official Journal. In the future, all products will be labelled on a new, updated and clearer scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). This system will gradually replace the current system of A+++ to G labels, which as a result of the development of ever more energy efficient products in recent years no longer enables consumers to distinguish clearly between the most energy efficient items. The new scale will help consumers make better informed purchasing choices. In addition, a product registration database will allow the public to consult product labels and information sheets, making it easier to compare the energy efficiency of household appliances. The Regulation also requires manufacturers to inform consumers if software or firmware updates could reduce a product’s energy efficiency. It bans the use of ‘defeat devices’, which alter a product’s performance under test conditions.
Based on a proposal by the European Commission, the new Regulation was agreed by the co-legislators (the European Parliament and the Council) earlier in the year.
Manufacturers of items sold in EU countries are also required to follow Ecodesign legislation, which sets minimum standards for the environmental performance of products.
