The efficient use of energy is something that has become increasingly prominent in the ethos of individuals and companies in the last few decades as we collectively understand the necessity and importance of energy efficiency to conserve our planet. As a part of the charge to reduce our energy wastage and help consumers to be better informed about the appliances they are using, the European Union introduced the EU Energy Label directive which gives appliances a score for their energy efficiency.
The EU Energy Label applies to a wide range of appliances including washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioning systems and ovens. Higher rated appliances will consume a lot less energy compared to those with average of below-average energy ratings.
Why energy efficiency matters so much
There are many reasons why individuals and businesses should care about energy efficiency, not just for their own benefit but for the good of their community and the planet as a whole. Investing in appliances that come with a top energy rating (like A+++) will use much less energy compared to less efficient models, leading to significant energy bill savings in the long run.
Cutting down your energy consumption also helps reduce CO2 emissions which minimises our detrimental impact on the environment. Reducing CO2 emissions will help to prevent the build up of carbon in our atmosphere, something which is responsible for raising global average temperatures and causing many more subsequent problems in the world.
Scoring your appliance
The EU Directive 92/75/EC came about to allow consumers to easily know the level of energy efficiency of any appliance they purchase. To begin with, the scoring classes ranged from A for most efficient to G for least efficient appliances; however, as technology became better new grades for the highest efficiency products were introduced – A+, A++ and A+++. Each + represents an energy efficiency of 10% greater than the A rating, so an A+++ rating means that an appliance is at least 30% more efficient than a standard A rated appliance.
For an appliance to receive a rating, its energy efficiency ratio is calculated. This is essentially a way to measure how much energy an appliance consumes in order to operate. After this ratio is calculated an appliance will be placed into an energy class from A-G (up to A+++).
Energy efficient air conditioning
Air conditioning systems will all come with detailed labelling on their energy efficiency and other important information. For example, the EU energy label will show the cooling output, annual energy consumption and a noise rating which can help you decide which system to invest in.
The energy efficiency of an air conditioning system is determined by its Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) which essentially measures the cooling capability relative to its energy consumption. Energy efficient technology has advanced significantly over the past 10 years, enabling many modern air con systems to work and consume just a fraction of the energy required by previous models.