PRESS STATEMENT - 22.12.2014

The New Year will bring immediate benefits for European consumers. From January 1^st, consumers shopping online for home appliances and electronics will be able to better compare the product’s energy efficiency level. Existing in-shop obligations for the well-known energy label will be replicated for products bought online.

Consumers will also benefit from energy saving coffee machines. New models left unused for certain time, must switch off or to standby mode, cutting consumers’ energy bills. According to European Commission figures, consumers using a drip filter machine could save about €45 over the lifetime of the product.

Televisions, printers and other devices capable of connecting to a network will also be required to be able to switch off or to standby mode, thereby helping to reduce consumers’ bills when not delivering a service. These new rules could save consumers up to €40 per household per year.

Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation commented:

“Improving the energy consumption levels of everyday consumer products is the right approach to contribute some relief to consumers from increasing energy bills.

“With purchases increasingly moving online it makes perfect sense for shoppers to have a useful energy label at their disposal to compare products.”