Clearer, tougher EU energy labels on the way
Energy label
(BRUSSELS) - A new, tougher, A to G scale showing the energy efficiency of household appliances is set to replace current energy labels, following agreement Tuesday by EU Parliament and Council negotiators.
At the same time, the introduction of a public database will make it easier to compare energy efficiency.
"After twenty years, traditional labels for electric products, i.e. fridges and dishwashers, will be upgraded to 2.0 version," said Parliament's rapporteur Dario Tamburrano MEP: "They could contain a QR code or a link that allows citizens to access an online database: labels will become bridges to a digital universe containing all those information impossible to be noted just on paper. The creation of a detailed database and digital tools, like smartphone apps, will enable consumers to make immediate comparisons among the products on the market,"
Climate Action Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete also welcomed the deal, which he said was "good news for European consumers and businesses, people's energy bills and the climate. The revised energy efficiency label – together with ecodesign – can save households close to EUR 500 per year, increase manufacturers and retailers overall revenue by over EUR 65 billion per year and save to the annual energy consumption of Italy and all the Baltic countries combined."
About 85% of European citizens look at energy efficiency labels when they purchase products, consumer surveys show. Having the best performing ones in the A+ to A+++ categories was misleading, according to the Commission, hiding potential substantial differences in energy performance.
Main points:
- A return to the clearer A to G class label, by removing the cumbersome A+ to A+++ classes from existing energy labels within a well-defined timeframe;
- The introduction of a product registration database to support market surveillance activities by the Member States;
- A public database containing all energy efficiency labels, giving consumers a better tool to compare the energy efficiency of household appliances;
- Future-proofing the legislation by introducing provisions on software updates and smart appliances, and explicitly banning the use of defeat devices.
The agreed text now has to be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council. Once endorsed by both co-legislators, the revised Energy Efficiency Labelling Regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the Union.