New energy labels

The EU’s new, stricter regulation on energy consumption labelling came into force on 1 March 2021. This regulation is the result of technical developments and changes in consumer behaviour.

More transparency in appliance comparisons The EU energy labels have been used successfully since 1995. Consumers are familiar with them and take them into account when deciding which product to buy. The introduction of the energy labels promoted competition and supported innovative developments in the industry. Appliances became increasingly efficient, to such an extent that the previous scale from A to G was extended to A+/A++ or even A+++, depending on the product category. As a result, it has become more difficult for consumers to identify the best products.   The introduction of the new energy label – with a return to the familiar, but also standardised, energy efficiency scale from A (the best) to G (the worst) – has once again ensured greater transparency for appliance comparisons.

Simplified access to information Like the old energy labels, the new labels also provide information about other product characteristics of an appliance. More extensive appliance information can be accessed conveniently via a smartphone by scanning the QR code on the label (link to "EPREL" European product database). However, this only applies to models that are also sold in the EU.

Ecodesign guidelines for a more circular economy  The ecodesign regulations deal with additional aspects relating to energy consumption labelling. They define minimum requirements for characteristics such as energy consumption in standby mode, reparability, availability of spare parts or easy disassembly and recycling at the end of the service life. This also helps to achieve objectives relating to a circular economy. The concept of sustainability is deeply ingrained in our vision and strategy as well as in our corporate culture and our philosophy. We take responsibility for our products throughout their entire service life and help our customers to use them. With our promise to guarantee spare parts for up to 15 years, we set the benchmark for the industry.

The elements that make up the new energy label (e.g. for a dishwasher): 1. QR code (if model is also sold in the EU) for further details about the appliance 2. Supplier's name or trademark 3. Supplier's model identifier 4. Energy efficiency rating (A–G) 5. Weighted energy consumption of the Eco programme for 100 cycles 6. Additional product information. Number of table settings, water consumption of Eco programme per cycle, duration of Eco programme, airborne acoustic noise emissions and airborne acoustic noise emission class