The European Commission has for the very first time proposed energy labels for TVs. For refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines the existing label scheme will be updated. Energy labels help consumers to choose products which save energy and thus money. They also provide incentives for industry to develop and invest in energy efficient product design.
For televisions, which represent almost 10% of the average household’s electricity bill, it will be the first time ever that manufacturers will have to declare the energy efficiency of their products, using an A to G scale. The label must be clearly shown on the TV set and in advertisements, if the prize of TV is mentioned.
Energy labelling of refrigerators-freezers, dishwashers and washing machines has already been hugely successful since its introduction in 1992: today 90% of appliances sold in the EU are in class ‘A’ – the best existing class. However, new technologies would allow reducing by half the energy consumption of an A-class product. The EU has therefore decided to extend the scale upwards with three new classes: ‘A+’, ‘A++’, and ‘A+++’ for products with a better than A-performance.
The appliances covered by the newly adopted regulations represent one third of a household’s electricity bill a year. The new labels will therefore have a positive impact on consumers’ household expenses.
The four regulations for these labels will now have to be agreed by the European Parliament and Council.