News

Energy-related Product Labelling

Kelly Butler, marketing director at BEAMA, reminds readers of the legal implications of this year’s ErP introduction

From September 26 2015, new boilers, heat pumps and water heaters need to display a label to show their energy performance. A mandatory energy label is being launched that grades product performance from A+++ to G (with A+++ being the highest performing product).

In addition to this ‘product label’, a package label will also be needed for packages (http://www.centralheating.co.uk/energy-labelling/Packages), i.e. when heating products are installed.

Heating installers, merchants, manufacturers and importers of space and water heaters will be affected.

  • Heating installers are often the ones who sell heating products to the end customer. This means that they take on labelling responsibilities as the ‘dealer’ which include displaying the labels to their customers. Installers will also be legally required to produce a ‘package label’ when selling certain combinations of heating equipment to customers. This can be as simple as fitting a room thermostat with a boiler, and as this is required under the UK building regulations it could mean that you need to produce a package label every time you fit a boiler.
  • Merchants or other retailers of heating products will also take on labelling responsibilities as the ‘dealer’ but only when they are selling to end customers. This will mean that they are required to display the labels with space heaters and to produce a ‘package label’ if they sell space heaters to an end customer along with other items of heating equipment such as a separate temperature control.
  • Manufacturers of heating controls will need to indicate the ‘product class’ of any temperature controls they place on the market so that they can be incorporated into a ‘package label’.
  • Importers of space heaters will take on the responsibilities of ‘suppliers’ which means that they need to produce the product label. This requirement is not limited to manufacturers but to anyone who places the product on the market.

For further guidance, including a glossary of terms, FAQs, and your responsibilities as an installer, distributor or manufacturer, please visit http://www.centralheating.co.uk/energy-labelling

BEAMA has worked with the HHIC and the Hot Water Association to develop the definitive industry information site, go to www.energylabelling.co.uk.