The old energy label for products has supported consumers in the search and selection of energy efficient products for over 25 years. It has driven the development of innovative efficient products, dramatically reducing the energy consumption and costs of appliances.

However over the years the old A+++ to G labelling scheme has become less effective.

As consumers became more aware of the environment, more products became more energy efficient and occupied the top of the scale, meaning more ‘+’ signs.

Therefore a revised label was introduced featuring a new simpler A to G scale, as well as other new and improved features.

What are the main differences between the old energy label and the rescaled energy label?

• All products will feature the new, consistent scale from A to G, with ‘A’ being the highest class.
• A QR code on the energy label will allow you to access useful product information by scanning the code with a smartphone.
• Some of the pictograms that represent product features have been adapted and some new ones added (for example the spinning efficiency class of a washing machine).
• The energy consumption of the appliance is shown more clearly.

Example of new energy label for a washing machine

Why has the energy label changed?

New innovations in technology have led to products being much more efficient than they were 5-10 years ago. This means that they can no longer be measured on the same scale. The energy label scale has therefore been reset to more clearly show the difference in efficiency between today’s products.

What has changed on the new label?

The energy label scale has been reset to show more clearly the difference in efficiency between products sold today. Additionally, some labels now have new and better information to make it easier to decide which product is best for you.

Has the label changed because of Brexit?

No, the rescale of the energy label was agreed before the UK decided to leave the EU. Since then, experts have been working hard to make sure the new labels more clearly show the differences between products.

Have products become less efficient?

No, in fact new innovations in technology have led to products being much more efficient than they were 5-10 years ago.

My new appliance is ‘C’ rated - what rating would it have been on the old label?

The new energy label is now more accurate and more clearly shows how a product will perform at home - not just in test laboratory conditions. This means that different products that were previously rated A+++ may now have different energy ratings to each other. In most cases, the majority of ‘best in class’ products will now be rated B or C.