THE LOW DOWN …
From 1st March 2021 there is a new energy rating scale that will apply to refrigeration, dishwashers, washing machines, washer dryers and televisions.
WHY THE CHANGE ?
From 2010, the energy rating scale was A+++ to D. Because of advances in technology and the increased energy efficiency of appliances, most products now sit in the A+++ to A classes, leaving them very overpopulated, and the rest of the scale, B to D, very underpopulated.
A new scale has been created which has the range of A to G. Most products will now sit in the lower end of the scale (predominantly E and F), leaving a lot of space at the top for more energy efficient products to be developed.
HOW DOES THE OLD SCALE MEASURE UP & WILL THIS MEAN PRODUCTS ARE LESS EFFICIENT?
Although the ratings do not necessarily convert neatly, in general an A+ product is now an F, an A++ product is now an E and so on. In some categories (such as washing machines), manufacturers have introduced new models with more energy efficient components such as inverter motors, so the new energy rating will be higher than its predecessor.
This new scale does not mean that the energy efficiency of a product has lowered as such. It just means that there is space at the top end of the scale to encourage more advances in technology and for even more energy efficient appliances to be developed in the future.
MULTIPLE LABELS
Between 1st November 2020 and 1st March 2021, manufacturers had to put the old and new labels in the boxes. This was called ‘dual labelling’.
Because Brexit fell within this time frame, products on the UK market also had to include energy labels with a GB flag on as well as an EU flag on. So you may find four energy labels in your packaging, which might be confusing, but it is right!
From 1st March 2021, products just need to have two labels in: the new EU and GB energy labels in.
NOT TO WORRY, QR CODES ARE HERE TO HELP
This applies to refrigeration, dishwashers, washing machines, washer dryers and televisions.
Tumble dryers and cooking are not currently affected, but there are plans to reform these categories around 2025.
The new energy labels will also have a QR code so that you can easily find out more energy details of a product.