To promote the use of energy saving label more detailed settings besides the effect of reducing electricity costs
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry(METI) and the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy(ANRE) will promote “Retailer’s Labeling program” which clearly conveys energy efficiency performance of home appliances and other products to consumers and promote the selection of highly efficient products. Validity of the current Energy Saving Labeling Program will be verified with reference to overseas cases. It determines the items need to be indicated other than the reduction effect of electricity bills, and the necessity to set more detailed evaluation categories.
On 25th December last year, METI and ANRE began study at “Judgment Standard Working Group for Retailers’ Labeling Program” (chair: Tatsuro Watanabe, professor of Senshu University) of the “Advisory Committee for Energy and Natural Resources” (an advisory body of METI) which opened for the first time in about four years.
The current “Retailers’ Labeling Program” began in 2006. In addition to the achievement rate to the energy conservation standards, it’s consist of “Multi-level Evaluation” which makes energy-saving performance visually distinguished by one to five stars and “Expected annual electricity bill” which indicates annual electricity bill and expected fuel usage. This program is applied for 20 appliances covered by the Top Runner Program.
In this meeting, ANRE introduced the awareness of Energy Saving Labeling Program based on the questionnaire surveys conducted in the past, and analyzed whether it actually contributed to the consumers’ purchase motivation. Based on that, ANRE set the issues on the necessity to indicate the bills other than electricity such as gas and oil, to show the primary energy reduction effect and to subdivide the classification of Multi-stage evaluation .
According to the ANRE, the European Union (EU) energy labeling system evaluates energy-saving performance by 7 to 10 level rating for 14 appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators. The evaluation method will be reviewed from 2021, and the products with the highest rank in the current standard will be rated B in the new standard, and level A with no entry will be prepared in consideration of allowance for improvement to level up to level A.
On the other hand, the US system requires manufacturers to display annual electricity bills and other information as a guide. These include the International Energy Star Program, which focuses on high-ranked products and certified products, and the Energy Conservation Grand Prize organized by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan. Promotion of the labeling system was also stipulated in the “Long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (long-term strategy)” based on the Paris Agreement decided by the Cabinet in June.