In our current environment, it is increasingly important every day to conduct ourselves in greener, more eco-friendly practices. This begins with the purchase of your home appliances; your choice will impact your overall carbon footprint. Not only does this impact the environment but it can also change your bills, so weighing up a product's energy efficiency is beneficial for everyone.
Why were labels updated?
In 2020, the new energy label was introduced, replacing an outdated system of measuring energy efficiency. This brought with it a more accurate scale, better suited to comparison across products. With the vast improvements in energy-saving technology, many products on the old system ended up bunched towards the top of the scale. The new system lets them be spread out across wider criteria, leading to clearer differences in a product's consumption. This allows for room for improvement down the line as well, allowing for further development of eco-friendly technology.
What's New?
Despite looking similar, there are some key differences with the new labels concerning the availability of information that they present. Some of the standardised changes include:
- A QR Code in the top corner: This gives customers instant access to a range of information on the product, easily scannable on any mobile device.
- New energy efficiency scale: Simple lettering system allowing for easier comparison and greater room for improvement
- Consumption and usage information: Measurements of the consumption of each product, whether it is electricity or water
Washing Machines and Washer Dryers
In the EU, over half of the washing machines listed were ranked A+++, the highest rating on the old scale. This proves the flaws of this system, showing it wasn't informative and gave no room for growth. These new changes will help in a few ways:
- It is projected that 711million m3 of water by 2030 will be saved.
- It is projected that 2.5 Terrawatt-hours of electricity will be saved per year by 2030.
- The average European household will save approximately £110 over the lifetime of their new machine.
Fridges and Freezers
In 2014, half of the products available were in the top 2 bands, once again making it hard to differentiate products. The changes aim to:
- Save 10 Terrawatt-hours of electricity per year by 2030
- Save the average European household approximately £85 over the lifetime of their new machine
Dishwashers
More than 60% of the dishwashers in the EU market are either an A+++ or A++ on the old scale. This will have opened up now thanks to the new scale. The new labels are made to:
- Save 16 million m3 of water by 2030
- Save 2.1 Terrawatt-hours of electricity per year by 2030
- Save the average European household approximately £50 over the lifetime of their new machine
This is only an insight into the most common energy labels that you will see. Over time, more products may change to this new system, however, they will follow a similar, standard format. As technology improves, these labels will ensure greater ability to improve and, as such, will help us all work towards a greener, more sustainable way of life.
Find out here how we are here to help you improve your sustainability through your purchasing:
