The debate focuses on the fact that for a number of domestic appliances, the old A to G energy efficiency rating system has become inappropriate, with most products on the market being placed in the A or even A+ bands. The improvements in energy efficiency of domestic appliances over the last decade have been considerable. But where do we go from here in energy labelling terms, as further progress is made? To A++, A+++, and beyond?

Potential options

Not surprisingly the European Commission – spurred on by Consumer Groups – feels the labelling system needs to be revised to remain meaningful and useful to the consumer. There are several ways in which this could be done, but each presents a number of problems.

An entirely different system could be introduced, for example based on stars, as in other parts of the world. But that would mean abandoning the colour and shape of the existing European symbols, which have in effect become a well known logo.

Another option would be to keep the existing A to G concept but re-calibrate it to allow for future progress. For instance, existing A products would be re-classified as C, to allow space for even more efficient ones in the future to take up the new A and B status. But this could lead to confused – and possibly irate – customers asking why the product they bought as an A had now become a C! This re-calibration solution is nevertheless possible. There might be a difficult transition period, and eventually – in perhaps ten or 15 years' time – the whole exercise would have to be done all over again.

During the meeting with Defra, AMDEA expressed the view that any change will have to be well publicised and that a simple revision of the A to G scale, whereby a current A product would become a C product for example, would not be desirable.

Defra is still awaiting proposals from the European Commission for the revision of the Framework Directive. They reiterated that the current A to G layout will be difficult to drop since it is almost a brand itself, and thus widely known.

A new proposal

There is a further possible way of approaching changing energy labelling which has been under consideration by CECED, the European Trade Association of Appliance Manufacturers. This involves keeping the shape and the colours of the existing label but replacing A to G with numbers, so that 1 is the least efficient (and features in the bottom red coloured band), rising to 7 in the top green section (see the figure beside). This has the advantage of keeping the well known shape and colours, but allows for future improvements to be classified with higher numbers beyond 7 (and at the same time the least efficient low numbers would drop out).

Other considerations

Discussions with DEFRA were wide-ranging, with their representatives indicating that they were sympathetic to AMDEA's concerns. They would like to see a major review of the whole concept of the energy efficiency labelling which they believe could be greatly improved with manufacturers' environmental data displayed on company websites to allow customers and governments to look at the available data and use it as a means of making a choice.

They would also like a national dimension so that governments could also add their aspirations of energy performance, based on the products available in their market.

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