New energy label: What has changed?

The energy label of electrical appliances has changed as of March 1, 2021 and has acquired a new scale from A to G

The energy labeling of electrical appliances has been established by the European Union for several years, with the aim of providing consumers with simple, accurate, and comparable information on energy consumption and other important characteristics of products. Essentially, the energy labeling, through the label, helps us choose products with lower energy consumption and therefore lower operating costs.

What has changed and why?

As of March 1, 2021, the new energy label made its appearance, by decision of the European Union, for better serving the needs of consumers.

This change was deemed necessary to provide:

Better information for consumers: The old energy label, with a scale from A+++ to D, was no longer as useful. On the one hand, the many "+" classes on the scale and on the other hand, the classification of most products already in the top 2-3 classes, confuse consumers and make it difficult for them to distinguish the most energy-efficient products.
Incentives for manufacturers: Through the new labeling, manufacturers are encouraged to produce more efficient and environmentally friendly products.

What are the elements of the new energy label?

1. Energy Efficiency Scale

The energy efficiency scale has changed. This is the most significant change. The classes A+, A++, and A+++, which caused the most confusion, have been abolished. The scale now consists of classes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and will be common for all products.
Devices belonging to class A (green) are those with the lowest energy consumption, while devices belonging to class G (red) are those with the highest consumption.

2. QR Code

A QR code is placed in the top right corner of the label. By scanning the code with a smartphone, you gain access to the European product database "EPREL", which provides additional information about products with energy labeling.

3. Energy Consumption

In the middle section of the label, energy consumption is presented more prominently and is represented in one of the following ways, depending on the product group: in kWh per year, in kWh per 1000 hours, or in kWh per 100 cycles of operation.

4. Icons

In the bottom section of the label, icons are displayed that provide information about additional product features. Most icons remain the same as those on the old energy label, some have been updated, and some new ones have been added.

Which product groups carry the new energy label?

The implementation of the new energy labels on product groups has been gradual and has already been completed. Specifically, the product groups that have acquired it since March 1, 2021 are:

*The final transition for bulbs will be completed in February 2023, while for the other appliances it has already been completed.

What else do I need to know?

There is no direct correlation between the old and the new energy efficiency scale. So, don't expect a product rated A+++ to be considered as class A on the new label. On the contrary, many devices that were previously rated even at the highest levels of A+++, now have a lower class (e.g. B or even C) according to the new label. However, this does not mean that the energy consumption of the product has changed, it simply changes the way its performance is calculated and its classification on the new A-G scale.
Based on the new A-G scale, very few products initially belonged to class A. Therefore, class A remained relatively empty at the beginning, and this is intentional in order to allow room for the development of new technologies and improved products.