EUROPE: The European Parliament and the Council has agreed to a revised energy efficiency label, replacing the current A+++ to G labels by easier to understand A to G labels.
The measure is intended to make energy labels more understandable and help customers make better informed purchasing choices. The measure will also be accompanied by the introduction of a public database making it easier to compare the energy efficiency of household appliances.
Since its introduction 20 ago, the success of energy labelling has encouraged the development of ever more energy efficient products. This has resulted in the current label becoming too complex.
The present best performing products in the A+ to A+++ categories is considered misleading and hides potential substantial differences in energy performance.
The Commission first proposed returning to the original A to G energy label scale in July 2015,
“Technological innovations allow European citizens to enjoy the most advanced products on the market; it was therefore high time to bring our labelling scale up to date,” said vice president for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič.
The text of the agreement will now have 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.
