• How loud will a refrigerator be? How much water will a washing machine consume? You will find this information on the new energy labels on white goods and consumer electronics.
• As of March 2021, they will change - there will be new pictograms, QR codes, plus marks will disappear, and equipment will be labeled with the letters A to G.
• Thanks to the new 'right to repair', we will also limit electrical waste.

Energy labels have been known to consumers since the  mid-1990s. They inform about the basic technical parameters of household appliances and allow for quick and easy comparison of properties of products of the same type available on the market. This helps the consumer make the best choice. With the information on the labels, even before the purchase, you can calculate, for example, how much electricity or water a particular device will consume. The label is identical in each EU Member State.

In 2019, the European Commission published five regulations on home appliances. They introduce a revised scale on energy labels, templates for new labels, and the so-called "right to repair". Some of the changes took effect on March 1, 2021, for products such as digital TV sets and monitors, washing machines and washer-dryers, refrigeration equipment and dishwashers. In turn, a revised scale and designs for new labels on light sources, namely incandescent bulbs, will also become effective on 1^st September 2021.

New energy labels

“Plus marks were eliminated on energy labels and the original scale from A to G was restored. In practice, class A products will not be currently available on the market - this class has been reserved for advanced equipment and new technical achievements which will only be developed in the future,” President of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny, explains. In addition, the labels include QR codes for the on-line product card in the EPREL database (European Product Database for Energy Labelling), which collects data on product energy labels. After scanning such a code, the consumer will be able to verify the technical data of the device (in English). Also, there are new pictograms that graphically reflect the features of a particular device. There is also a new scale of noise classes (from A to D) and the rules for calculating the parameters of the device provided on the label have been partially modified.

Sellers are obliged to place new energy labels on exposed devices, and manufacturers are obliged to attach them to products. The energy efficiency class should also be visible when shopping on-line (made visible near the price) and easy to read.

Detailed information on labels can be found on the website of the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

Right to repair

Under resource-efficiency provisions, i.e. so-called “rights to repair”, manufacturers of white goods and consumer electronics must ensure that spare parts are available for 7 to 10 years after their production has been completed and the last batch has been placed on the market. Replacement parts are to be available primarily to maintenance/servicing shops. Items for simple repairs that users can safely replace themselves are to be widely purchasable.

For example:

• For washing machines and washer-dryers: pumps, wash drums, electronic displays, software, doors, gaskets and dispensers are to be available to maintenance/servicing shops for at least ten years.
• For refrigeration equipment: thermostats, temperature sensors available for at least seven years for maintenance/servicing shops, handles, hinges, trays and baskets for at least seven years. Seals available to all for at least ten years.
• For dishwashers: thermostats and sensors, printed circuit boards, electronic displays, pressure switches and software available for at least seven years to maintenance/repair shops, door hinges and gaskets, spray arms, drain filters, interior shelves and plastic accessories such as baskets and lids available for at least ten years.

Spare parts are also to be easily replaced with the use of generally available tools.

“Thanks to the introduced regulation, the equipment is to be more durable and easier to repair. One of the objectives of the new legislation is to reduce electro waste. The right to repair and increasing the availability of spare parts will also have its financial dimension – extended service life and operation of the device means saving money, so the financial effect on consumers will also be beneficial,” Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK, explains.

The list of spare parts and the procedure for ordering them are to be available on the website of the manufacturer, their representative or importer. In the case of generally available spare parts, the repair instructions should also be available on the website.

Where to dispose of waste electrical equipment? An audit by the Trade Inspection Authority

Used or broken electrical and electronic equipment such as hair dryers and tablets must not be disposed of in a standard dust bin. It can be handed over in the store. When purchasing a new device, the trader must accept obsolete equipment of the same type from the consumer free of charge. For example, if you buy a new iron in a store, you can give back a used or broken one there, or if you order a TV set for home delivery, you can say you want to get rid of the obsolete one and the retailer is obliged to take it back from you. Large stores selling white goods (at least 400 square meters) must accept all used appliances if none of their dimensions exceed 25 cm.

The Trade Inspection Authority regularly checks how stores comply with this obligation. One of such audits was performed in Q3 2020. Inspectors audited 302 entrepreneurs selling electric and electronic equipment. All audited entities declared that they accepted waste equipment free of charge in accordance with the regulations, but unfortunately not all of them informed the public about the regulations in force and their obligations in this respect.

The inspectors raised objections against 19.5 percent of the businesses inspected. Most of them did not display in a prominent place the information required by law on where and under what conditions consumers can dispose of obsolete equipment free of charge.

During the audit, inspectors targeted 1,859 batches of new electric and electronic equipment. They checked whether the products were properly labeled with the selective collection symbol (there were no irregularities), information about the prohibition to dispose of waste equipment with other waste, and about the effects that hazardous substances contained in the equipment may have on health and the environment. TIA also controlled whether the products were placed on the market by authorised companies. In total, due to the marking, 63 batches checked were contested, i.e. slightly more than 3 per cent.

Consumer support:

Phone: +48 801 440 220 or +48 22 290 89 16 – consumer helpline
e-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumer advocates – in your town or district
Provincial Trade Inspection Authority Offices

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL