Energy efficiency matters. From keeping our bills down to reducing the impact we have on the planet, making conscious choices about our appliances can make a real difference.
And that’s why most energy-consuming products come with an energy label – to help you make informed decisions about the products that you buy.
Checking the energy label before you buy a product gives you an idea of how expensive it will be to run.
An appliance with a low energy rating is less efficient than one with a high rating. So, if you buy a piece of tech with a G rather than an A rating, you could end up spending more on your electricity bill.
Energy efficiency is the act of reducing the amount of gas and electric energy used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep costs down
Energy efficient appliances can cut energy usage by over 50%
Every household appliance features an EU energy label that provides info about the energy efficiency of the product
Scan the QR code using a smartphone to access more information about the appliance
‘A’ (dark green) rated products use less energy and help you to lower your energy bills and CO2 emissions
Pictograms provide information about things such as water usage, noise emitted, storage capacity, etc.
So, we know what an energy label looks like, but what does it all mean? Click a feature below to find out more.
On the left-hand side of the label you'll see a scale with different colours from deep green for A all the way through to red for G. A is the most energy efficient and G is the least. To find out what energy rating the tech you’re looking at has, check the black pointer symbol next to the scale.
A QR code is a patterned black and white square and you'll see it in the top right-hand corner of the label. When you focus your phone's camera on it, it'll give you a link. And when you follow that link, you'll get loads of in-depth info about the tech's energy rating.
Beneath the scale you'll see a number with a measurement next to it. How the tech's energy efficiency is rated will change from category to category. So a TV's measurement would be different to a dishwasher's, for example. Most will base that number on 100 cycles using that piece of tech - like how much energy a washing machine uses over 100 washes.
Below the energy consumption rating you'll see a whole bunch of different symbols. Again, which symbols you see will depend on what type of tech you're buying. Take a fridge freezer- you'd see info about the volume of all the fridge compartments, the volume of all the freezer compartments and it would tell you how noisy the fridge is too.
There are plenty of little things you can do to use less energy. If you're going out, make sure all the lights are off and devices are taken off standby where possible. Fridge freezers and home security systems might always need to be on. TVs, sound systems and even chargers still use energy even when not in use - so it's good to check that they're 'off off'.
Tip: many washing machines and washer dryers have an 'eco' mode that uses less energy and water to clean your laundry, so it's worth looking out for.
Washer dryers, dishwashers and fridge freezers contribute a large chunk to household energy consumption throughout the year, so consider a machine that uses less power to do the job. Tech with a high energy rating can cost as much as 50% less to run annually than a lower rated appliance. While an eco-efficient machine may cost a little more at the start, it'll help save you more in the long run.
Kitchen appliances account for 47% of our total household electricity usage
Devices left on standby cost the avg. household approx. £177.93/year
Here are a few energy-saving habits you can adopt at home to save money and reduce your carbon footprint
The avg.household energy bill in the UK is approx. £2499.87/year
Unplug chargers and devices when they’re not in use
Run your washing machine & dishwasher with a full load
Wash your clothes at a cooler temperature
Turn appliances off when they’re not in use
Only boil the amount of water you need
Use ‘Eco’ programmes on your appliances
When it comes to energy efficiency, one size does not fit all, and you’ll find that labels are slightly different for different product types.
To supercharge your energy efficiency, use the table below to understand the specifics of the label for each appliance type.
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption on eco programme per 100 cycles in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Capacity in no. of ‘place settings’ (x1 dinner plate, dessert plate, glass, soup bowl, teacup, saucer and cutlery)
Water consumption per cycle on eco programme in litres (L)
Cycle length on eco programme (hours:mins)
Noise emitted in decibels (dB) rated A-D (A = quietest)
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per 100 cycles in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Capacity in kilograms (kg) on eco programme
Cycle length on eco programme (hours:mins)
Water consumption per cycle on eco programme in litres (L)
Spin drying efficiency rated A-G (A = the most efficient dry)
Noise emitted in decibels (dB) rated A-D (A = quietest)
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per year in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Total volume of all freezer compartments in litres (L)
Total volume of all refrigerator compartments in litres (L)
Noise emitted in decibels (dB) rated A-D (A = quietest)
Number of standard wine bottles that can be stored
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per 1000 hours of use in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per 1000 hours of use use in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Energy efficiency per 100 hours in HDR mode in kilowatt hours (kWh) rated A-G (A = energy efficient)
Resolution (pixels) and screen size (cm/inches diagonally)
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption on eco programme per 100 cycles in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Capacity in no. of ‘place settings’ (x1 dinner plate, dessert plate, glass, soup bowl, teacup, saucer and cutlery)
Water consumption per cycle on eco programme in litres (L)
Cycle length on eco programme (hours:mins)
Noise emitted in decibels (dB) rated A-D (A = quietest)
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per 100 cycles in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Capacity in kilograms (kg) on eco programme
Cycle length on eco programme (hours:mins)
Water consumption per cycle on eco programme in litres (L)
Spin drying efficiency rated A-G (A = the most efficient dry)
Noise emitted in decibels (dB) rated A-D (A = quietest)
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per year in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Total volume of all freezer compartments in litres (L)
Total volume of all refrigerator compartments in litres (L)
Noise emitted in decibels (dB) rated A-D (A = quietest)
Number of standard wine bottles that can be stored
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per 1000 hours of use in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Scannable QR code
Energy class (A-G) ‘A’ being the most energy efficient.
Energy consumption per 1000 hours of use in kilowatt hours (kWh)
Scannable QR code
Back when energy labels were first introduced 20 years ago, the rating system was fairly simple. An A for the most energy efficient appliances and F for the least. But things got a little more complicated as new, more efficient products started coming out. That's how we ended up with ratings of A+, A++ and even A+++ in the mix.
As appliances got better over time, more and more ended up in the A+ to A+++ category. That made things confusing, since it was harder to tell which appliances actually used less energy.
But since an update to energy labels in 2021, all appliances are rated from A to G - nice and easy!