Why Energy Efficiency Labelling is Important

Recent years have seen the increase of importance of energy efficiency appliances to consumers, sellers, money conscious people and environmentalists alike.

Energy efficiency appliances are electronic devices which require less energy to work at the same level as other appliances which are inefficient. Not only do these inefficient appliances cost more money to run, they are also less environmentally friendly. Appliances which are energy efficient help to save money and are eco friendly due to their electricity saving nature. Energy efficient appliances are able to help save the environment due to less electricity used and thus fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Knowing the energy efficiency of an appliance such as a fridge, freezer or air conditioning unit is now an imperative part of decision making when purchasing an appliance. There are now very clear ways of measuring the energy efficiency rating of appliances and today we’re going to concentrate of energy efficiency labelling for air conditioners which we will outline below:

Terminology:

Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) and Coefficient of Performance (COP) are terms which are used to outline the heating and cooling efficiency of air conditioners and are able to tell us the ratio of cooling or heating generated from an air conditioner in relation to the extent of electrical input which is needed to make it work. The higher the EER and COP is, the higher the unit’s energy efficiency. It is now a legal requirement that air conditioner units have labels to show their exact energy efficiency.

EU Energy Rating:
A law which first came about in March 2005 made it compulsory for all air conditioners being sold in the EU must have an Energy Rating Label visible on the packaging. This makes it obvious to potential buyers

From March 2005, a law was implemented which stated that all air conditioners for sale in the EU must have an Energy Rating Label at the point of sale and on the packaging. This has made it much easier for potential buyers to judge energy efficiency through a single international standard – the EN14511.

This EU Energy rating meant that each air conditioner was given a rating on a 7 point scale between A and G, with A being the most efficient. This rating was not just exclusive to air conditioners and actually covers a variety of household appliances such as freezers, fridges, washing machines, tumble driers etc. If a product displays an A rating, it has passed a rigorous testing procedure to ensure the reliability of the label and advertise the high energy efficiency of the appliance.

Seasonally Efficient Products

More recently, seasonally efficiency calculations have come about which gives more classifications from A+++ to D which is also shown in colour shadings ranging from dark green to red. Not only do these new labels include season efficiency ratings for heating and cooling, but energy consumption and sound levels too – far more informative than previous labels.