New 2022 Energy Ratings Explained!

When you purchase a new appliance for your home, it's important to consider how it's energy efficiency ratings can help you cut your energy costs and overall energy consumption.

To help you understand the energy rating that products have, most electrical goods come with an energy efficiency label. This label provides a rating for the appliance as well as helpful information on how much water or electricity it uses and how much noise it might create in your home.

As of March 2021, these labels have been updated, so we're here to help explain why, and what the new labelling and rating system means for you!

Why have energy ratings changed?

These labels have been a well recognised feature on our appliance purchases for over 25 years! So it was about time they got an upgrade.

Over the years since the energy label system started, there have been amazing advancements in energy-saving technology, which means that many electrical goods have been given the highest rating for efficiency.

The most important change that has been re-introduced is the simple A-G scale. With more and more products achieving ratings as A+, A++ or A+++ according to the current scale, this leaves no room for companies to innovate further and continue to introduce more energy-efficient products into the market. The A-G scale is much stricter, with a design that aims to prevent so many new products from achieving the highest rating initially and to set new standards for the future of appliances.

With the updated scale, new icons and even category-specific changes, the new labels have made choosing the right appliance with the best energy efficiency and comparing appliances even easier for you.

When did the energy ratings change?

The new energy rating labels came into effect on the 1st of March 2021.

What did this mean for products purchased before that date?

There was an initial transition period following the start date in March, where both the old and new labels were included on appliances, ensuring that you always had the right label according to the current regulations.

The most energy-efficient products on the market at the time have typically now been labelled as “B”, “C” or “D”. This allowed companies to continue making improvements on their products, and to continue introducing more energy-efficient products, with more room higher up on the scale for innovations. For some products, this new scale brought huge changes to their overall rating.

For example, a Samsung fridge freezer previously featuring a high rating of A+ was then demoted to being considered an F on the new ratings. A reduction in ratings like this one did have some negative implications in that it caused some products to be seen as having bad energy efficiency when they were once highly rated.

What did the updates include?

The new energy efficiency labels have been updated with a new scale and simplified icons, with more consistency to compare products in different categories. The features below have been adjusted and added to the new labels:

• A simplified rating scale of A-G without additional pluses
• Icons to represent more energy efficient features and functions, relating to different categories
• Consistent units for measuring energy and water consumption or noise emissions
• QR code to scan and access further product information

Which products use the new energy rating system?

The key products that have been updated in March 2021 include:

• Household refrigerators and freezers
• Wine Coolers
• Washing machines and washer dryers
• Dishwashers
• TVs and electronic displays

Are labels now the same for all appliances?

All appliances now use the same A-G rating scale, and the same basic features such as the QR code to access more information, as well as the standard kWh measure for energy consumption. Due to the different uses of many products, there have also been category-specific changes implemented. This includes new icons that show ratings for useful information relating to the category.

For example; washing machines and washer-dryers have included a rating for weighted water consumption and spin efficiency class, providing you with an easy scale to compare the different types of machines, models and brands.

Refrigerators and fridge freezers now include information on total volumes of compartments, and the same scale for noise emission ratings as other kitchen appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers.

For TVs and Electronic displays such as monitors, Energy consumption is now detailed per 1,000 hours of use for both Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR), making it easier to compare and calculate your consumption.

Do any products still use the old system?

As things currently stand, any energy-related products must now utilise and abide by the new energy rating system. Following the initial rollout of the new system in March 2021, some products were given a postponed date, such as lighting products which were allowed to wait until October 2021 to make the change. However, since that date, it is widely accepted that the new rating system is now the standard and will be conformed to exclusively.

What have you thought about the new energy rating system? Have you found the change worthwhile and easier to understand? Or did you prefer the pre-March 2021 system and have yet to warm to the new way of doing things? Of course, it's entirely possible that you did not notice the change and don't look at the energy rating system at all. Whatever your preference is, you can always look forward to the upcoming products that manage to obtain that coveted A rating.