Energy labels

Affected by Brexit?

Energy labels show how the appliances you sell or manufacture rank on a scale from A to G according to its energy consumption. Class A (green) is the most energy efficient and Class G (red) the least. Currently - once most appliances of a given type reach Class A - up to 3 further classes can be added to the scale; A+, A++ and A+++.

Due to improved energy efficiency in many products, more and more appliances are ranked within the A+, A++ and A+++ grades. This has proven to be confusing for consumers so from 2021 onwards, these rankings will be phased out for the following product groups:

• Fridges
• Dishwashers
• Washing Machines
• TVs
• Lamps

The new grading system will use only the A to G rankings (without A+, A++ and A+++).

What are the benefits?

Energy labels enable customers to choose products that consume less energy and thereby save money. Labels can also encourage companies to develop and invest in energy-efficient product design.

Which products require labels?

You must display energy labels for all appliances you sell in the EU for which a label requirement (or regulation) exists. They must be clearly displayed on each appliance at the point of sale.

So, if you make or import household appliances be sure to check whether they comply with the relevant directive and related legislation.

Products that require energy labels

EU rules on energy labels apply to appliances and any other products likely to have a direct or indirect impact on the consumption of energy and other potential resources during use, i.e. energy-related products. They do not apply to second-hand products or to means of transport for persons or goods.

What do I need to do?

If you are:

• a manufacturer established in the EU (In this case, the 28 EU member states, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway.)
• an authorised representative of a manufacturer who is not established in the EU
• an importer

you should make sure that any appliance you sell (that requires an energy label) displays the correct label containing information on how much energy it uses. You'll also need to publish the technical documentation. You must provide the labels and product information to dealers free of charge (ensure the labels are affixed so they are visible and legible).

You have the option to generate energy labels using the online energy label generator tool. You can also access energy label templates in InDesign format.

Registering your products in the EPREL database 

Since 1 January 2019 manufacturers, importers, and authorised representatives must register all products - requiring energy labels - in the European Product Database for Energy Labelling (EPREL) before being able to sell them on the EU market.

If you placed any products (requiring an energy label) on the EU market:

•  between 1 August 2017 and 31 December 2018, their registration had to be completed until 30 June 2019.
•  before 1 August 2017 (and have since stopped marketing it), their registration is on a voluntary basis.

You need an EU LOGIN account before starting registering your products in the EPREL database. You can find additional information on the entire registration process in the EPREL guidelines.

Selling products online or by distance selling

If you sell online or via distance selling, for example by phone or catalogue, you must still provide your clients with the product information.
For internet sales, you should:

• clearly display the energy label corresponding to the advertised product (in proximity to the price of the product), or
• if the energy label is not shown, you should display the energy class (using a nested arrow - which should itself be a link to the corresponding energy label)

The nested arrows and energy labels can be created via the energy label generator or the InDesign templates.

What are delegated regulations?

To ensure compliance with EU energy labelling rules, delegated regulations for labelling of appliances explain what criteria your product must meet. These criteria include:

• the information you must make available
• how your product will be labelled according to its level of energy-consumption and eventually other indicators like the water consumption
• where product labels must be placed

For certain product groups, the companies involved may decide to define voluntary agreements. You should check to see if any agreements exist.

You should also check whether your product is covered by European standards for ecodesign and energy labelling. The standards will help you comply with the EU energy labelling rules.