There’ve been changes to the energy labelling of heat pumps, fridges and freezers.
Energy ratings tell you how efficiently appliances do their job. More-efficient products get more stars and are cheaper to run.
However, some products have become so efficient that the rating system has run out of stars.
Revised labels are being phased in, but there’s potential for confusion during the changeover. During this time it is possible for two examples of the same product to have different labels and star ratings.
The ratings are being “dialled back” by about two stars. (But the old rating can still be listed in a panel at the bottom of the revised label – at least during the phase-in period.)
Heat pump labels have had a further change: instead of the old combined heating/cooling label there’s one that shows cooling and heating side-by-side.
The Energy Star is awarded to the most energy-efficient appliances on the market.
There’s been a change here too – but just for heat pumps. Heating-performance information at an outside temperature of 2°C will now be taken into account in the Energy Star calculation for heat pumps.
This means there could be heat pumps on the market that used to have the Energy Star but no longer qualify.
You can check out which heat pumps have the Energy Star by going to the EECA website.
More from consumer.org.nz
- Heat pumps – product database, buying information and efficiency ratings
- Fridge-freezers – test results, energy ratings and buying advice
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Is the energy label rating based on the energy consumption as an absolute value or is it based on the efficiency (output capacity devided by input energy consumption)
The present explanation is very confusing.