The Energy Labelling Framework Regulation sets labelling, registration, and other requirements for energy-related products, such as air conditioners or light sources.

The goal of the regulation is to provide consumers with information concerning energy efficiency and consumption, to allow them to choose efficient products that consume less energy.

In this guide, we explain how you can register your product on the EPREL database, the goal and content of the energy label, and what data you should include in your product information sheet. We also list the regulation delegated acts, which set additional requirements for specific products.

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What is the Energy Labelling Framework Regulation?

The Energy Labelling Framework Regulation establishes a framework for energy-related products and it requires:

• Registration of energy-related products
• The application of the relevant energy label
• The provision of a product information sheet
• The provision of technical documentation
• Compliance with relevant delegated acts

In turn, delegated acts supplement the regulation with product-specific requirements, such as labelling or the product information sheet contents.

Which products are covered?

Article 1 of the Energy Labelling Framework Regulation states that it applies to energy-related products sold in the EU:

1. This Regulation lays down a framework that applies to energy-related products (‘products’) placed on the market or put into service.

Article 2 defines an “energy-related product” as follows:

(1) ‘energy-related product’ or ‘product’ means a good or system with an impact on energy consumption during use which is placed on the market or put into service, including parts with an impact on energy consumption during use which are placed on the market or put into service for customers and that are intended to be incorporated into products;

The page “Product List – Energy Efficient Products” on the EU website lists the products that are covered by the Energy Labelling Framework Regulation. Here we list the covered product categories, and an example of a product for each category:

• Cooking (e.g. domestic ovens)
• Cleaning and Drying (e.g household dishwashers)
• Refrigeration (e.g. fridges)
• Heating, Cooling and Ventilation (e.g. air conditioners)
• Electronic Products (e.g. electronic displays)
• Light Sources (e.g. LED lights)
• Tyres

Note that some products listed on the page are only covered by the Ecodesign Directive, which sets ecodesign requirements for energy-related products, with the aim of increasing energy efficiency.

Exempted products

The regulation exempts the following products from its requirements:

a. Second-hand products, unless said products are imported from a country outside the European Union

b. Products that are meant to transport people or goods

EPREL Registration

Suppliers, for example importers and manufacturers, of energy-related products, should register their product models on the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) product database before selling their products.

Access the EPREL

You need to first create an account and access the EPREL database, before registering your product.

1. If you are a first-time user, create a user account on the EU Login page.

2. Enter the required company data to create a supplier EPREL Organisation. Your user profile becomes the ‘Supplier Admin’.

3. Begin the supplier verification process by providing your proof of identity and establishment in the EU.

Product registration

After accessing the EPREL, you should register the product that requires an EU energy label before selling it.

The regulation requires suppliers to enter the following data:

a. Public information, which is used by the system to create the “product information sheet” and the “energy label”

b. Technical documentation, which can only be accessed by the market surveillance authorities. The compliance-related data, referred to in the legislation as “technical documentation”, that will be only accessible, on a need-to-know basis by compliance control authorities to perform their duties of market surveillance.

If you are based outside the EU, you should have an EU-based importer or an authorised representative register the product for you.

Energy Label

In this section, we explain the purpose and content of the energy label.

Label example – Source: Regulation (EU) 2019/2015 – Light sources

Label purpose

The energy label has three main goals:

a. Helping consumers select more energy-efficient products

b. Encouraging manufacturers to use more efficient technology

c. Providing energy consumption information and supplementary information about a product’s relevant features

Label content

Once you provide the required information to the EPREL database, the EPREL generates the energy label.

The label should contain:

a. A language-neutral logo, with a bolt as the last letter of the word “ENERG”

b. The supplier name or trade mark (see point I in the above example)

c. The product model (see point II)

d. The scale of energy efficiency classes (see point III

e. The energy consumption (see point IV)

f. A QR code that links to the EPREL (see point V)

g. The energy efficiency class (see point VI)

h. The number of the relevant delegated act

i. Indication of other non-energy parameters (e.g. capacity)

The information on the energy efficiency label differs according to the product or the delegated act that covers that product. For instance, a smartphone and a tumble drier would have different information on their respective label.

Documentation

The regulation requires suppliers to create a product information sheet and the technical documentation.

Product Information Sheet

A product information sheet is an electronic or printed document that contains product-specific information. The regulation mandates suppliers to provide this sheet with their products. However, delegated acts may mandate that it is sufficient to upload the information into the EPREL database.

If they only upload the information to the EPREL database, they should also provide retailers, upon request, with a printed version of the product information sheet.

The specific information that must be included in the product information sheet generally include:

• Supplier’s name or trademark, address, contact details
• Model identifier
• The label, in electronic format
• Energy efficiency class(es) and other label parameters
• Product information parameters

Delegated acts may set additional required information, which may also depend on the type of product (e.g. Parameters for LED and OLED light sources).

Technical Documentation

The regulation defines technical documentation as documentation that market surveillance authorities can use to evaluate the validity of the product’s label and product information sheet, including test reports.

According to Article 12, suppliers should enter the following parts of the technical documentation into the EPREL database:

• Easily identifiable general description of the model
• References to harmonised standards used
• Specific precautions for the model’s assembly, installation, maintenance, or testing
• The model’s measured technical parameters
• The calculations carried out using the measured parameters
• Testing conditions, if references to harmonised standards are not adequately described

Delegated acts may establish additional requirements.

Delegated Acts

The EU’s Ecodesign and Energy Labelling page lists 14 energy labelling delegated acts that set requirements for various energy-related products, such as dishwashers and light sources.

In this section we provide some examples of requirements for all 14 delegated acts.

Product testing

You should have your product lab tested so you can assess the product performance. This is to ensure that the information that you provide to the EPREL database (e.g. energy consumption), and that it is used to create the energy label, is accurate.

As an example, EN 60436, which is harmonised under Regulation (EU) 2019/2017 – Household dishwashers, provides methods for measuring the performance of dishwashers for household use.

When your products pass testing, you receive a report indicating the product’s compliance with the requirements.

Note that, in general, if your product comply with relevant harmonised standards, it is assumed to comply with requirements of the regulation. While not all delegated acts list harmonised standards, some of them provides transitional methods of measurement as an alternative. These methods are generally Commission Regulations that list EN standards that can be used to measure performance.

If no harmonised standards or transitional methods of measurement exist, you should still ensure that you can correctly assess the performance of your product, for example using other reliable methods.

Testing companies

Here are some examples of companies that claim to test products against the requirements of the Energy Labelling Framework Regulation.

• TÜV Rheinland
• TÜV SÜD
• Eurofins
• Global Testing Group