Energy sticker cause for confusion
7 November 2011, 19:02
Energy efficient refrigerators are sold more and more often. However the energy stickers on them are cause for a lot of confusion.
The refrigerator is the biggest energy consumer in every household. Not cause its the power is so high, a microwave oven easily has ten times as much power, but because its on 24 hours a day.
A refrigerator with the best energy label uses up to 40 Euro (180 kWh) of electricity. For old-fashioned energy consumers this comes to about 120 Euro (540 kWh). With an average lifespan of 10 years that would save you about 800 Euro.
When looking for the most energy efficient refrigerator, you'll soon encounter a problem. Almost all refrigerators, about 95 percent, are A-rated. They're all really energy efficient. But which one is most economical? "You should look for devicezs with an A++ sticker", says Mariken Stolk of the Central Environment Information club. "You used to see A, B and C stickers, but since energy efficiency has moved forward, nearly all refrigerators are now A-rated. Therefore there we've made two new categories: A+ and A++. Both are more economical than A."
Sales of refrigerators with the A+ and A++ label have increased last year, reaching 25 percent of the total sales. The problem with new energy labels however is that most consumers don't recognize these refrigerators as the most energy efficient and therefore the cheapest option. "I can image how A, A+ and A++ can be confusing," says Stolk. "Developments are fast and the supply is high. Sellers should give good informations. I assume that they do."
Sellers are often not quite sure about the energy efficiency labels though. "The A++ label isn't official, is it?, asks Pieter Otten, manager Corporate Social Responsibility at BCC. "It's all very confusing for the customer, stickers showing the consumption in kilowatt hours. Do you know what it means when a device consumes 100 kWh annually?" BCC has introduced it's own label. "We just use stickers that show the annual cost per year. That makes comparing a lot easier." The difference between a energy efficient and non-efficient refrigerator is around 800 Euro.
