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Environmental White Goods Criteria
and White Goods Energy Labels
Legislation
By law, the European Community Energy Label must be displayed on all new household products of the
following types displayed for sale, hire or hire-purchase including:
- Refrigerators, freezers and fridge-freezer combinations
- Washing machines
- Electric tumble dryers
- Combined washer-dryers
- Dishwashers
- Lamps
- Electric ovens
- Air conditioners
Energy Efficiency
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The more efficient the product, the less energy it needs and the more you get for your money. 'A' rated products are
the most efficient and 'G' rated products the least efficient. The most efficient fridges and freezers can now be
identified by new 'A+' and 'A++' markings on the large black arrow appearing against the green 'A' arrow. In this example
for a fridge freezer, the energy consumption is given in kWh/Year. Other information includes Capacity (Fresh Food and Frozen Food), Noise level
dB(A) in decibels at power levels pW in pico-watts. Note also the European Community Energy Label is displayed at the bottom of the label.
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Energy Consumption
This tells you how much electricity the product uses, in kilowatt hours (kWh).
Use the kWh figure to see how much electricity and money you might save if you chose a different model. Using less
electricity is better for the environment and economically.
White Goods Product Performance
The 'A-G' indicators here are similar to the main energy efficiency ratings and are based on European standards (the
test cycle used is on the label): 'A' is the best performance and 'G' the worst. Using models with 'A' ratings for both energy
efficiency and performance, together with lower than average water consumption, will save you the most money - as well as
being the best for the environment.
Water Conservation
To help you choose a water efficient model, here are examples of roughly how much water typical appliances use:
- Washing machine: 30-100 litres per wash programme (based on a wash load capacity of 5kg)
- Washer-dryer: 60-200 litres per wash and drying programme (based on a wash load capacity of 5kg)
- Dishwasher: 10-30 litres per wash (based on an 8-place setting)
- Dishwasher: 10-50 litres per wash (based on a 12-place setting)
Noise Level
Manufacturers don't have to provide information on noise. If shown, the lower the (decibel) number, the quieter the
appliance.
Light bulbs
In addition to the standard 'A-G' scale for energy efficiency, information on the packaging must include luminous
flux (light output) of the light bulb in lumens, the input power of the light bulb in watts and the average rated life
of the light bulb in hours.
Actual Savings
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The European Ecolabel:
Some products are awarded the European Ecolabel which may appear on the label or elsewhere. The Ecolabel
indicates that the product has been independently assessed and found to meet strict environmental criteria.
More than energy consumption alone is considered in the evaluation. The Ecolabel designates that the appliance is among the best in its class.
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Actual savings will depend on how you use the product and how much you pay for your electricity. You can also
save money by running washing machines, washer-dryers and dishwashers only when you have a full load, using
economy and low temperature settings, and spin-drying clothes well before you tumble dry; by ensuring that fridges and
freezers are installed away from cookers and other sources of heat in accordance with the manufacturer's advice; and by
switching off lights when not needed. For example, a one bar electric fire uses 1kWh in one hour. A 100watt electric light
bulb uses 1kWh in 10 hours' use (an energy saving light bulb would go on for 40 hours on 1kWh of electricity!).
Recommended Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings Labels
Copyright
© 2007 CDS Electrics. All Rights Reserved.
CDS Environmental Electrics
7 Aylesford Grove, Monkston
Milton Keynes MK10 9JE
Tel: 01908 660314 Mobile: 0788 214 8912
Email
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