The EU against planned obsolescence of domestic appliances

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Clearer energy labels and spare parts of domestic appliances available longer on the market. These are the changes that have entered into force since 1 March 2021 in the EU to make life easier for consumers in the Member States and to invest in eco-compatibility. We start from the EU energy labels: for refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, televisions and monitors, the new labels are already in force from 1 March 2021, while for light bulbs and lamps with fixed light sources will be applied from 1 September 2021.

As more and more products have reached classes A+, A++, or A++ according to the current scale, the most important change of the new labels is the return to the simplest scale A-G, more rigorous and designed so that very few products are initially able to obtain the "A" classification, leaving a good margin for the inclusion of more efficient products in the future. the energy-efficient products now on the market will normally be labelled "B", "C" or "D". The labels contain new elements, including a QR link to an EU-wide database that will allow consumers to find more details about the product. In addition to scaling up the energy efficiency class of the product concerned, the new label has clearer and more modern icons. Like the previous ones, the re-heated labels show not only the energy efficiency class; for a washing machine, for example, they indicate at first glance the number of litres of water per cycle, the duration of a cycle and the energy consumption measured on a standardized program.

In addition to the launch of the new labels, the market for domestic appliances came into being on 1 March also with regulations on eco-design. The new rules update the minimum efficiency requirements and strengthen consumer rights regarding product repair and support for the circular economy. Manufacturers or importers will now be obliged to make available to professional repairers a range of essential parts (engines and brushes for engines, pumps, shock absorbers and springs, washing baskets) for at least 7 to 10 years after the last unit of a model has been placed on the EU market. Also, for end-users (namely consumers who are not professional repairers but who like to carry out repairs themselves), manufacturers must make certain spare parts available for several years after a product has been withdrawn from the market, products such as doors or hinges and seals that are compatible with "DIY". The maximum delivery time for all these pieces is 15 working days from the order.

Argomenti
Energy
26/04/2021