newenergylabel.eu The new European energy label: the success story continues

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1 The new European energy label: the success story continues Since 1995 the European energy label has provided consumers with standardised information on energy consumption and performance criteria of major household appliances. The label helps consumers to identify the most efficient and thus energy cost saving appliances. For both suppliers (manufacturers and importers) and retailers the energy label became an important marketing tool. In this way the label has played a key role in fostering energy efficiency of products. The European energy labelling scheme has been followed as a model in different countries around the world. The technical progress has been so successful that most products are today ranked in the top classes. In order to continue as an aid to decision-making for potential purchasers, the need for the revision of the labelling scheme became obvious for the market players as well as for the European Union. The political process of the revision is well advanced. In 2010 the framework Directive (EU/2010/...) for the new energy labelling entered into force. The framework Directive includes general principles and obligations. Specific regulations for various products will follow soon, starting with household refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, dishwashers and television sets. In brief: what s new? The new label has kept its uniform design characteristics across the different product groups. In order to ensure a high recognition value, the new label format has maintained many of the well-known elements, like the principle of seven efficiency classes, their identification by letters from A+++ to G, and colours from dark green (high energy efficiency) to red (low energy efficiency). Also the size of the label is about the same. However, there are some new elements, allowing suppliers and subsequently dealers to highlight bestperformers and technical progress. The main changes: Depending on the product group, up to three additional classes, A+, A++, and A+++, will be added to the original A to G classification scheme. The new label will be language-neutral. Country-specific plain text will be replaced by pictograms. Each single product will be supplied with the full new label. The current practice in many countries, to provide the basic label and the data strip separately, will be abandoned. Where energy-related or price information is disclosed, any advertisement for a specific model must bear a reference to the energy efficiency class of the product. Naturally, these provisions apply only to product groups where the new label has already entered into force. For all other products groups, neither the label layout nor other provisions change until a new Regulation enters into force there too. When do we start? The schedule It is likely that specific Regulations for household refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, dishwashers and televisions will enter into force in the time period from September to November From then on it will be possible to use the new label, as supplied by suppliers, on a voluntary basis. After a transitional period of 12 months following the date of publication of the product-specific Regulations, suppliers are obliged to supply a new label with each product put on the market. Further label Regulations for other products, e.g. water heaters, tumble driers and vacuum cleaners, are already in the pipeline.

2 The obligations for suppliers Most obligations will not change. Suppliers will still be obliged to supply a label (but in future with each product) free of charge to dealers. They are also obliged to supply a so-called product fiche (i.e. data sheet) in all product brochures. Where no product brochure is provided by the supplier, the latter shall provide the fiche with any kind of literature provided with the product. The content of the fiche is laid down in the annex of the Regulations. The suppliers are responsible for the accuracy of the labels and fiches that they supply. The obligations for DEALERS The main obligation for dealers is still to attach the label, as provided by suppliers, to the product at the point of sale. The label is to be put on the outside of the front or top of the product, in such a way as to be clearly visible. There is no obligation for dealers to relabel products at the point of sale. Products, which have been put into the market with the current label and are still on stock, may be displayed with this label without any time constraints. Dealers must also make available the fiche in the product brochure or other literature that accompanies products when sold to end-users. For distance selling and other forms of selling where end-users cannot be expected to see the product displayed, the seller must ensure that potential end-users are provided with the information specified on the label for the product and in the fiche before buying the product. This obligation takes effect 16 months after the publication of the Regulation. Further details are provided in the annexes of the specific Regulations. Obligations for both dealers and suppliers New obligations for both dealers and suppliers are related to advertising and promotional materials. If the advertisement for a specific model discloses energy related or price information, it must refer to the energy efficiency class of that model. Furthermore, any technical promotional material concerning a specific model which describes its specific technical parameters must include the energy efficiency class of that model. These obligations take effect 16 months after the publication of the Regulation. All obligations for suppliers and dealers are listed in detail in the product-specific Regulations. The new labels: what they tell us? Subject to confirmation by the European Parliament and Council the specific layout and content of the new labels is described hereafter. All information is based on the proposals by the European Commission as of... Apart from the possibility to show three additional classes A+, A++ and A+++ and the switch to pictograms instead of plain text, there are some aspects which are common to all new labels. The noise declaration will be mandatory for those products where noise is a relevant criterion. The methods for determining the efficiency class and for calculating the energy efficiency index and other performance data are detailed in the annex of the product-specific Regulation. The label declarations are based on measurements under laboratory conditions as specified in Official European Standards. This procedure is necessary to make a comparable evaluation of different products possible. Depending on the use of the product and its installation location, the energy consumption in daily use at home may deviate from the value as stated in the label.

3 The new label for household refrigerators and freezers Supplier s name or trademark and model identifier Energy efficiency class Annual energy consumption (based on measurement according to the standard XY..) Noise emissions in db(a) Sum of storage volume of all frozen-food storage compartments Sum of storage volume of all storage compartments without a star-rating Numbering of the Regulation

4 The determining variable for the classification in classes is the energy efficiency index (EEI). This index takes into account primarily energy consumption, the volume and the lowest temperature of different compartments. Other factors affecting this index are also the type of construction (built in or free standing) and the availability of frost free feature..for details on how to calculate the index see annex VI of the regulation. The energy efficiency classes are defined in the table shown below. This table clearly shows the technical progress. As an example: An A+++ appliance with an index of 21 needs about 60% less energy than an equally sized A -rated appliance with an index of 54. In addition to the label as shown above there are two other versions: one label for wine storage appliances, giving the capacity of wine bottles instead of the volume in litres, and one label with ten classes, instead of seven, for the absorption appliances which require more energy due to their silent cooling technology.

5 The new label for household washing machines The determining variable for the classification in classes is the energy efficiency index (EEI). This index takes into account primarily energy consumption, the volume and the lowest temperature of different compartments. Other factors affecting this index are also the type of construction (built in or free standing) and the availability of frost free feature..for details on how to calculate the index see annex VI of the regulation. Supplier s name or trademark and model identifier Energy efficiency class Annual energy consumption, based on 220 standard washing cycles. Actual energy consumption will depend on how the appliance is used. Acoustical noise emissions, during the washing and spinning phases, for the standard 60 C cotton programme at full load. Spin-drying efficiency class Rated capacity in kg, for the standard 60 C cotton programme at full load or the standard 40 C cotton programme at full load, whichever is the lower Water consumption in litres per year, based on 220 standard washing cycles. Actual water consumption will depend on how the appliance is used. Numbering of the Regulation

6 The new label no longer includes a washing performance class as an A class washing performance is mandatory for all washing machines with a washing efficiency class greater than 3 kg. The energy classification is based on an energy efficiency index (EEI).. The consumption indicated on the label takes into account: the energy consumption in the 60 C cotton programme at full and partial load, the energy consumption in the 40 C cotton programme at partial load, and also the power and the programme time in the left-on mode and off-mode. The values for the water consumption and the spin-drying efficiency class are based on the same set of cycles as the energy consumption data. The energy efficiency classes are outlined in the following table: A high spin-drying efficiency results in less moisture content in the spun laundry and thus less energy consumption when using a tumble drier.

7 The new label for household dishwashers The new dishwasher label is also extended to three new classes A+, A++ and A+++. The upcoming eco-design Regulation for dishwashers requires a minimum cleaning performance which is equivalent to the current cleaning performance class A. Also, the label no longer includes a cleaning performance class. Supplier s name or trademark and model identifier Energy efficiency class Annual energy consumption, based on 280 standard cleaning cycles. Actual energy consumption will depend on how the appliance is used. Acoustical noise emissions Drying efficiency class Annual water consumption in litres per year, based on 280 standard cleaning cycles. Actual water consumption will depend on how the appliance is used. Numbering of the Regulation

8 The energy efficiency classes are outlined in the following table: [Add an example what savings can be achieved with an A+ (A++?) appliance compared to class A?] The energy efficiency index (EEI) and the value for the annual energy consumption are measured from the energy consumption in the standard cycle, when loaded with the declared place settings and also the power and the time duration in the left-on mode and off-mode. The standard programme is the standard cleaning cycle to which the information in the label relates. This standard programme is suitable to clean normally soiled tableware and is the most efficient programme in terms of combined energy and water consumption. The Drying Efficiency Index and water consumption are also indicated for the standard cycle.