The new EU rules on energy labelling of a range of household appliances and electronic products have been in force in all shops and online retailers as of Monday 1 March 2021, the European Commission has announced.
Introduced via delegated acts (see EUROPE 12211/11) as part of the EU regulation (2017/1369) establishing a framework for energy labelling, the new labels concern four categories of products: – refrigerators, including those for storing wine, and freezers; – dishwashers; – washing machines and washer-dryers; – televisions and other external screens, such as computer monitors.
The new rules will also apply to labels for light bulbs and lamps with light sources from 1 September this year.
The main change brought about by these new rules concerns the way in which the above-mentioned products are classified according to their energy consumption. Rather than ratings such as A+, A++ or A+++, the new labels are on a scale from A to G.
“The new system will be clearer for consumers and ensure that businesses continue to innovate and offer even more efficient products”, as it will be designed so that very few products will initially be able to obtain an 'A' grade, said the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson.
In addition, a new feature must be present on the labels: a QR code (to be scanned via a smartphone) with which consumers will be able to obtain additional information on the product model, such as data on dimensions, specific characteristics or test results depending on the device. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)