Description
When it comes to buying energy efficient products, Europeans are familiar with the letters A to G. The EU energy label first appeared on a selection of household appliances in the 1990s, starting with refrigerators in 1994. Since then, thanks to effective and responsive EU policy-making, the label has grown in both scope and influence to support, along with other EU measures, energy efficiency and eco-design of products.
According to a 2024 Eurobarometer survey on energy, 93% of EU consumers recognised the label and 75% said it had influenced their choice when purchasing an appliance in the last 5 years.
Further enhancing its user-friendliness, the latest generation of the label, already on a range of products in 5 product groups, features a simplified scale of energy classes from A-G, replacing the previous scale from A++ to D. A unique QR code has been added to these labels, leading directly to the European Product Register for Energy Labelling (EPREL), a comprehensive database of the European Commission that hosts detailed information on each individual product, with the possibility to compare different models on the market.
Energy and cost savings for EU households
Opting for appliances and other products that are cheaper to run, because they waste less energy, can have a significant impact on reducing overall energy consumption and lowering household energy bills.
The 2024 Ecodesign Impact Summary Report showed that, thanks to EU ecodesign and energy labelling standards, total savings per household in 2020 were between EUR 182 and EUR 266. These savings are expected to increase to between EUR 473 and EUR 736 per household per year by 2030, benefiting not only the households themselves, but also the service and industry sectors.
Innovation promoting EU competitiveness
Beyond the positive impacts at household level, consumers who use tools such as the EU energy label and EPREL to make informed purchasing choices are sending a strong, collective signal to manufacturers: that there is a demand for more energy-efficient products.
In turn, these market trends can stimulate innovation and investment in more sustainable technologies and practices in the EU, boosting global competitiveness and ensuring that growth and innovation can flourish in Europe; essential conditions for ensuring the EU's continued prosperity and becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Which products are covered by the standards?
The EU energy labelling and eco-design requirements apply to a range of cooking and cleaning appliances, heating, cooling and ventilation units, electronics, lighting products, tyres and a variety of industrial products and machinery. All manufacturers, including those outside the EU, who wish to sell these products on the EU market must register their products in the 'EPREL' database before placing them on the EU market.
More detailed information on the requirements for each product type is available on the Commission's energy-efficient products portal.
EU energy label: knowing the basics
At a glance, most people can tell the energy class of a product from its energy label. But it is useful to know how to use the label to its full potential.
To this end, from 2021 the new simplified energy class scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) is being phased in to reduce the complexity of the label, starting with five product groups: dishwashers, washing machines and washer-dryers, refrigerators and freezers, lamps and electronic displays. The revised classes are also more ambitious in their requirements, to encourage further innovation among manufacturers.
Each simplified energy label also includes information on the product's annual energy consumption and additional non-energy parameters, depending on the product, such as noise emissions, water consumption, capacity, repairability and reliability class.
For more in-depth information on a specific product, one can simply scan the QR code of the label on the smartphone and go directly to the product page on EPREL. Alternatively, for each product group on EPREL, you can search for a specific model or filter for all models that meet specific criteria.
The latest generation of the energy label can be found on dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, electronic displays, light sources and tyres. From June 2025 and July 2025, respectively, the new label will also have to appear on smartphones & tablets and tumble dryers.
Learn more about energy efficiency
The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is Europe's largest annual event on renewable energy and energy efficiency, taking place from 10 to 12 June 2025, with the possibility to participate online or in Brussels. This year's discussions will be framed under the title 'Enhancing a fair and competitive green transition'.
Source: European Commission - DG Energy
Image owner: EU