Energy labelling requirements

If you manufacture or sell certain household electrical appliances you must label your products clearly with their energy efficiency rating so that consumers can make better informed decisions. See the page in this guideline: Energy labelling: which products does it apply to?

From 1 January 2021, energy labelling will be changing in England, Wales and Scotland.  Products newly placed on the market from this date will require a UK energy label.  Dealers will also need to display this new label.

Further changes are also taking place from 1 March 2021, when legislation which requires the use of new, re-scaled energy labels will be coming into force for some products. There will also be a UK energy label for these re-scaled energy labels. Prior to this date suppliers must provide dealers with access to these labels. From 1 March 2021, dealers will have 14 working days to ensure re-scaled labels are displayed. The product types subject to re-scaling are:

  • dishwashers
  • washing machines and washer-dryers
  • domestic refrigerators, freezer, and wine storage fridges
  • electronic displays, including televisions monitors and digital signage displays

GOV.UK: Create an Energy Label

If you hire out electrical equipment, run hire purchase schemes or sell products using methods such as mail order, catalogue or the internet, you must provide your customers with the equipment's energy efficiency rating.

You do not need to provide an energy efficiency rating for second-hand goods.

You may not need to label your products if they are exempt from the regulations. Exemptions are based on the size and power rating of the equipment. You can find details of these exemptions in the relevant energy information regulations. See the page in this guideline on energy labelling legislation

What energy information must you provide?

If you supply household electrical appliances, you must provide information about the energy consumption of the appliance in the relevant language on request. You must make this information available for at least five years after production of the appliance has stopped.

If you sell household electrical appliances you must display the product's energy consumption clearly, such as how much electricity the product uses in kilowatt hours. This information is for customers who visit your retail outlet or who could buy goods from you through mail order, the internet or other means.

Who enforces energy labelling?

The National Measurement Office has been appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as the market surveillance authority for the UK.

Read the detailed guidance from the National Measurement Office (NMO) on the GOV.UK website.

GOV.UK: Placing energy related products on the market

The UK Government has published information on the rules governing the placing of energy related products on the market in the UK and the EU, and the different rules that apply in Northern Ireland and in GB (Scotland, England and Wales) after the Brexit transition period ends.

GOV.UK: Businesses affected by Ecodesign and Energy Labelling standards

Further information

Return to the menu of the Energy labelling and ecodesign of energy-related products environmental topic