Brussels, 01/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - With effect from mid-2010, televisions, fridges, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers will all have to meet minimum energy consumption standards before they can be marketed. At the same time, energy labels on these goods, currently graded from “A” (top energy efficiency rating) to “G” (the lowest) will be reviewed to take account of the general improvement in technology. The scale will be completed with new scores beyond the top category, such as “A-20%” or “A-40%) indicating that appliances consume 20% or 40% less energy than those in the “A” category. At the Ecodesign Regulatory Committee on Tuesday 31 March, member states' experts approved measures proposed by the European Commission, setting compulsory energy performance requirements for large electrical appliances and creating an improved system for indicating the energy consumption of the appliances concerned. The Commission says that these new measures should help reduce annual energy consumption in the EU by 51 terawatt/hr or the equivalent of the combined annual consumption of Portugal and Latvia.
The new energy labelling system is not, however, to the liking of the European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC), which feels that it is “misleading and unclear”. BEUC is unhappy that the new labelling has not been tested to see if it is understandable to consumers. It was also critical of the influence exerted by the industry on this decision.
The “A” to “G” labelling system was introduced in Europe in the 1990s. However, retaining this system unchanged would have meant downgrading some appliances - a prospect resisted by European manufacturers. Under the banner of the European Committee of Domestic Equipment Manufacturers (CEDED), electrical appliance manufacturers came out, at the start of February, against simply re-classifying goods, which would have created negative pressure on the perceived value of goods which had already achieved high energy efficiency ratings on the market and would have compromised the industry's ability to invest more in innovation. CEDED spoke of losses of €1.5 billion for electrical goods manufacturers who, since the energy labelling directive came into force in 1995, have spent €15 billion on innovation in energy efficiency, spending that has brought a 20% improvement in the energy efficiency of their products every four years.
The minimum energy consumption standards proposed by the Commission and approved by member states will, from July 2010, prevent fridges and washing machines graded “B” or lower on the current scale from being put on the market. Two years later, the new standards will prevent the marketing of appliances that would be in the current “A” category. (E.H./transl.rt)