To help EU consumers cut their energy bills and carbon footprint, a brand new version of the widely-recognised EU energy label will be applicable in all shops and online retailers from Monday, 1 March 2021. The new labels will initially apply to four product categories – fridges and freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, and television sets (including other external monitors). New labels for light bulbs and lamps with fixed light sources will follow on 1 September, with other products to follow in the coming years.

With more and more products achieving ratings as A+, A++ or A+++ according to the current scale, the most important change is to return to a simpler A-G scale. This scale is stricter and designed so that very few products are initially able to achieve the “A” rating, leaving space for more efficient products to be included in the future. The most energy-efficient products currently on the market will typically now be labelled as “B”, “C” or “D”. A number of new elements will be included on the labels, including a QR link to an EU-wide database, which will allow consumers to find more details about the product. 

A number of ecodesign rules will also come into force from 1 March – notably on reparability and the need for manufacturers to keep spare parts available for a number of years after products are no longer on the market.

What do new energy labels look like?

As well as rescaling the energy efficiency class of the product concerned, the layout of the new label is different, with clearer and more modern icons. A further significant change is the introduction of a QR code on the top right of the new labels. By scanning the QR-code, consumers can find additional information about the product model, such as data relating to the dimensions, specific features or test results depending on the appliance. 

In addition to information about the product’s energy consumption, the labels can also provide specific data about other relevant features of usage, such as the product’s noise emissions or water consumption.

Noise emissions 

With increasing economic development such as expanding transport systems, increasing traffic volumes, industrialisation and urbanisation, noise levels are on the increase, whilst the value of a low noise environment is becoming more widely appreciated.

The acoustic industry has been technologically stagnant for decades, and that traditional materials like foam and concrete aren’t up to the task of dealing with an increasingly noisy world. Smart materials which can absorb sound to a better standard offer game-changing advantages never seen in the acoustics sector. These new acoustic materials are changing industry development saving on cost, space, are lighter and more efficient than these traditional materials. 

There is worldwide demand for more efficient products to reduce the consumption of energy and other natural resources in line with improving overall sustainability. Energy is a requirement in our everyday life as a way of improving human development leading to economic growth and productivity. The return-to-renewables will help mitigate climate change in an excellent way but needs to be sustainable in order to ensure a sustainable future for generations to meet their energy needs.