As energy is used as the comparator (rather than efficiency), it is necessary to group models into similar size categories for comparison. This model is used in North America. The following sections consider six international labels – the United States, Canada, the EU, Korea, China and India. These labels provide an informative spread of the types of labels employed around the world. United States EnergyGuide – Energy labelling of appliances commenced in the US in 1980, with the gradual inclusion of different appliances between 1980 and 1994. The first US label only showed the annual cost of operating the appliance however there were problems with this indicator because of the changing national average price of electricity. In 1994 the label was revised so that annual energy use (in kWh) became the main feature of the label rather than annual operating cost. The label was again revised in 2007 (to the version pictured in ) which prominently displays estimated yearly operating costs (Federal Trade Commission (US), 2007) The US EnergyGuide label is required on furnaces, refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, water heaters, clothes washers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, central air conditioners, and heat pumps. It is an actual range label that compares the labelled model with a range of other similar models on the market. The US label provides quantified energy and operating cost information (see ). The main features of the label are: the estimated yearly operating cost of running the appliance (based on the appliance’s electricity use and the national average cost of electricity); the estimated yearly operating cost range for models with similar features; estimated yearly operating cost of the appliance relative to similar models; and how much electricity the appliance uses (kWh) in a year based on typical use. Other information on the label includes appliance specific information, for example key features, make, model and size. Figure C2 US EnergyGuide label Source: Labels provided by the Department of Industry.
As energy is used as the comparator (rather than efficiency), it is necessary to group models into similar size categories for comparison. This model is used in North America. The following sections consider six international labels – the United States, Canada, the EU, Korea, China and India. These labels provide an informative spread of the types of labels employed around the world. United States – EnergyGuide Energy labelling of appliances commenced in the US in 1980, with the gradual inclusion of different appliances between 1980 and 1994. The first US label only showed the annual cost of operating the appliance however there were problems with this indicator because of the changing national average price of electricity. In 1994 the label was revised so that annual energy use (in kWh) became the main feature of the label rather than annual operating cost. The label was again revised in 2007 (to the version pictured in ) which prominently displays estimated yearly operating costs (Federal Trade Commission (US), 2007) The US EnergyGuide label is required on furnaces, refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, water heaters, clothes washers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, central air conditioners, and heat pumps. It is an actual range label that compares the labelled model with a range of other similar models on the market. The US label provides quantified energy and operating cost information (see ). The main features of the label are: the estimated yearly operating cost of running the appliance (based on the appliance’s electricity use and the national average cost of electricity); the estimated yearly operating cost range for models with similar features; estimated yearly operating cost of the appliance relative to similar models; and how much electricity the appliance uses (kWh) in a year based on typical use. Other information on the label includes appliance specific information, for example key features, make, model and size. Figure C2 US EnergyGuide label Source: Labels provided by the Department of Industry.
ERL_Review_Final_Report.docx