Understanding appliance energy ratings

Household appliances - from light bulbs to washing machines - come with an energy rating which tells you how much energy the appliance uses under average conditions in a certain time.

Starting in 2021 the old rating system which went from A+++ to D has gradually been replaced by a new, stricter rating system which goes from A to G but which has kept the familiar colour code.

The energy rating label will provide the following information:

• QR code (1): This is found on the upper right-hand side of the label. You can scan it with your mobile phone to find out additional information about the product.

• Energy efficiency class (2): The appliance will be given a letter rating from A to G. A being the most efficient, G being the least efficient.

• Energy consumption of the product (3): This will indicate the amount of energy used by the product in kWhs. It will be measured per cycle, per 100 cycles or per annum depending on the appliance type. This will allow you to establish a more accurate cost-of-use estimate. The lower the kWh, the less energy the product will use and the more money you will save on your energy.

For some appliances (e.g. washing machine, dishwasher) additional information can also be found on the rating label:

• Noise measurement: This indicates how loud a machine is in decibels (dB) during a cycle. The noise is measured on a four-point scale from A-D which will indicate how loud a product is.

• Water usage measurement: This shows how much water is used per cycle.