Whether you’re planning a whole new kitchen or simply updating the heart of your home, it’s always an exciting time to choose new appliances, especially with so many sizes and options available. Before you start selecting your must-have tools, you need to know about an important change to energy labels and ratings that will help you choose the perfect set-up for your new kitchen.
What’s happening?
From 1st March 2021, there will be new energy ratings and labels for fridges and freezers, dishwashers, wine cabinets, washing machines and washer dryers – although everything stays the same for range cookers and hoods.
What’s changing?
The current ratings go from A+++ (most efficient) to D (least efficient), however this will change to A to G. As there are so many appliances in the A+++ to A categories at the moment - thanks to improvements over the last decade – it’s now becoming harder to tell which dishwasher or fridge is more efficient. To make room for exciting innovations and even more energy-efficient technologies, there won’t be any A-rated or B-rated appliances for a while, so don’t worry if your fridge-freezer is rated C on the new label – it’s actually the best at the moment!
Energy label makeover
Until 28th February, you will see both the old and new labels on product displays, inside the boxes, or online; however, from 1st March 2021, only the new labels will be used. The new energy ratings and label make it much easier to see which appliances are best for you and your kitchen. The coloured scale clearly shows the rating, and graphics at the bottom highlight some key features so you can easily compare models. Want to know more? There is a handy QR code in the top-right corner of the label that you scan (with your phone or tablet camera) to see more about the appliance and its specifications.
The key features on the new label will be slightly different, depending on the type of appliance:
Dishwashers
Thanks to the new design, you can instantly see the number of place settings, how much water is used per cycle (in litres), the noise-level rating (in dB), duration of the eco programme, and the energy consumption (in kWh) per 100 cycles.
Fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers
Depending on the type of appliance, the label will include either the freezer capacity (in litres), the fridge capacity (in litres), or both, in addition to the noise-level rating (in dB) and energy consumption (in kWh).
Wine cabinets
It’s simple to see how many standard wine bottles can be stored, plus the noise-level rating (in dB) and annual energy consumption (in kWh).
Washing machines and washer dryers
The labels for washing machines and washer dryers include the capacity and duration for the ‘eco’ programme, spin drying class, water consumption per cycle (in litres), noise-level rating (in dB) and the energy consumption per 100 cycles (in kWh). For washer dryers, the labels also include separate energy ratings for washing and drying cycles.
Energy ratings and labels are just a small part of what you need to consider when planning a kitchen makeover and choosing your new appliances. Visit our blog section to explore the latest kitchen trends and must-have products: https://www.rangemaster.co.uk/blog