Activists hail new EU energy labelling rules for TVs, fridges

(EurActiv, 12 Mar 2019) Consumer groups have applauded an EU proposal to restore the familiar A-G energy labelling scale for goods like fridges, TV screens, and washing machines, saying the current ‘A+’ system is confusing for shoppers.

As of March 2021, the ‘A+’,’A++’ and ‘A+++’ ranking for home appliances will be replaced with the A-G scale that most shoppers are already familiar with.

“It is much better to go back to a simple A-G scale in which the green ‘A’ class label would always appear on the most energy-efficient products,” said BEUC, the EU consumer organisation.

Consumer groups have long complained that the A+ grading was confusing for buyers, making it harder for them to identify which products are truly most efficient. Fewer than 1 in 4 consumers understand that an ‘A+’ fridge is the least energy-efficient on the market, according to research by the German consumer organisation vzbv.

“The new rules will empower consumers and reward innovation, ensuring the market evolves in line with Europe’s sustainability goals,” said Stéphane Arditi from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a network of green NGOs.

Once fully implemented, the updated energy labels and ecodesign regulation could save the EU 140 TWh per year in electricity consumption from 2030, the equivalent of 5% of the bloc’s entire power usage, according to the Coolproducts campaign, a coalition of environmental NGOs. This would translate into yearly savings of €20 billion per year, it says.

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EurActiv, 12 Mar 2019: Activists hail new EU energy labelling rules for TVs, fridges