Although the EU energy labels are complex, they deliver lots of useful information which can help you make an informed choice about what the product you're considering could save you over the course of a year. As we've seen, a product may be energy efficient, but actually use more energy than one with a lower rating. One key figure to look at on every label is the energy consumption, which should be listed just below the energy efficiency rating (see example for details). This gives you a "real world tested" figure for the amount of energy used by the appliance, in kilowatt hours.

And, if you know how much your energy provider charges per kilowatt hour, you can even work out how much the appliance will cost you to run over the course of a year - letting you work out how much each one you're considering could potentially save you.

EU ratings explained

Appliances are rated on a comparative scale, from A (best energy efficiency) to G (worst). Different types of appliance have different rules for how they're rated, but all run from A (or A++ for fridges) down to G. If you want to ensure that your appliance is costing you less for its energy usage, always look for an A-rated product.

---

Energy Consumption, based on the amount of energy per wash or hour used.

---

Some devices may have multiple ratings, such as washer/dryers.

---

Any additional information, such as water consumed or noise produced, is list-ed at the bottom of the label.

page: