The letter tells you where a model sits on its own product group's scale, and nothing else. Since March 2021 the EU energy label has run from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient), replacing the old A+++ to D scale for the first six rescaled product groups under Regulation (EU) 2017/1369; the Commission says no precise mapping between the two generations is possible, because the parameters and test methods used to classify performance changed (the Commission on understanding the energy label). So the number that does the work is the consumption figure printed under the letter, together with the basis printed beside it.
The letter is only half of it
The Commission lists what the label carries: the language-neutral ENERG logo, a QR code linking to EPREL, the A to G scale, the class of that particular model, the energy consumption, an indication of additional non-energy parameters such as noise, water use, capacity or reliability, and a reference to the regulation; its Eurobarometer figures put recognition at 93% of consumers, with 75% using the label when buying (the Commission). That familiarity makes the letter feel like a verdict when it is a position on a scale.
One person reads, the other writes. One matches the model identifier on the label against the model actually in front of you, because a retailer's page often shows several variants under one heading. The other copies the consumption figure with its unit and its basis, and refuses to write the number without them.
What each label actually prints
Three common product groups, three different consumption bases. Compare like with like or do not compare at all.
Scroll sideways to see the full table →
| Product group | Consumption figure printed | Also printed |
|---|---|---|
| Fridges and freezers | Annual energy consumption in kWh | Frozen and unfrozen volumes in litres, noise emissions and class |
| Washing machines | Energy for 100 cycles, eco 40-60 programme | Water per cycle, rated capacity in kg, spin-drying class, programme duration, noise |
| Dishwashers | Energy for 100 cycles, eco programme | Water per cycle, capacity in place settings, programme duration, noise |
The washing-machine and dishwasher figures both rest on a defined programme: the 2019 regulations require an eco 40-60 cycle able to clean normally soiled cotton declared washable at 40°C or 60°C in the same cycle (the Commission on washing-machine labels), and require dishwashers to carry an eco programme against which the label's efficiency, duration and water figures are declared (the Commission on dishwasher labels).
Read the denominator before the number
A figure per 100 cycles is not a yearly figure, and the gap between them is your household, not the manufacturer's. The Commission puts EU27 use at 174 cycles a year for washing machines in 2020 (the Commission), so a figure per 100 cycles has to be scaled by 1.74 to reach a year for an average household, and by something else for yours.
The same care applies to capacity: a machine rated for a larger load may show a higher figure per 100 cycles and still use less energy per kilogram of laundry. Write the capacity in the same row as the consumption.
An example in kWh and in pounds
Use published averages rather than a remembered figure. The Commission puts the average electricity consumption of washing machines sold in the EU in 2020 at 96 kWh a year, or 0.14 kWh per kilogram of laundry, against 350 kWh a year for models sold in 1990 (the Commission).
- Per cycle, at the EU average of 174 cycles: 96 ÷ 174 = 0.55 kWh.
- Expressed the way a label does, per 100 cycles: 0.55 × 100 = 55 kWh.
- Run in Great Britain at the price cap average of 26.32 pence per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (Ofgem's unit rates): 96 × 26.32p = 2,526.7p, or £25.27 a year.
Three dates and two geographies are doing the work there — an EU average, a 2020 model year, a Great Britain price for one quarter of 2026 — and the answer is only useful while all of them are stated. The units themselves are worth settling first at the kitchen table.
What EPREL holds that the label does not
The QR code leads to the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling, and the Commission's guidance on scanning it is specific: the address should begin with ec.europa.eu, EPREL never asks for payment or personal data except an email to verify an error report, and a sticker placed over the original code is a reason to ask the shop staff (the Commission). A model can also be looked up by its EPREL identification number from the registry's own search.
EPREL carries the product information sheet behind the label, which is where the test conditions and the extra declared values sit. The label answers "where does this model sit"; the registry answers "measured how".
One reads, one checks
Finish on a comparison you can defend. For two models in the same product group, write the identifier, the class, the consumption figure with its basis, the capacity and the one feature the household needs. If the bases differ, stop before the arithmetic. If the capacities differ, say why each is still suitable rather than letting two letters decide.
You can finish without buying anything: one appliance already in the house, one label, one detail neither of you had noticed. Spare parts count too: the 2019 dishwasher rules require door seals, spray arms, filters and racks to be available for 10 years after a model leaves the market, delivered within 15 days (the Commission) — the kind of promise repairable, reusable and recyclable sorts out.
Sources
- Understanding the Energy LabelAccessed September 17, 2026
- Washing MachinesAccessed September 17, 2026
- DishwashersAccessed September 17, 2026
- Energy price cap unit rates and standing chargesAccessed September 17, 2026