Householders in Europe buying a new boiler could face confusing energy labels until as late as 2030, after rightwing MEPs voted to slow down an introduction of the new rules in the European parliament on Wednesday. The current labelling system means a product rated at A+ may be the least efficient appliance in its class due to the introduction of A+++ labels, prompting a European commission proposal to replace the grading with a simpler A-G format. Following the vote, the proposal will be subject to a review between 2019-23, where water heaters and boilers are concerned. The decision would then take six-seven years to implement. Unless the position is overturned in talks with the commission and EU states, real-world label changes may now have to wait until the end of next decade, with an overlap between the two systems until then. The Green party’s energy spokesman in parliament, Michèle Rivasi, said: “It has long been obvious that we need to shift to a simple, colour-coded A-G system, instead of the current confusing system. Unfortunately, MEPs have voted to delay this reform and allow unscrupulous manufacturers to continue pulling the wool over consumers’ eyes by marketing inefficient appliances as having a positive energy performance.” The new energy label regime will affect all products on sale in the UK that have been imported from the EU bloc – or which can be exported there. The European People’s Party group of centre-right MEPs welcomed the vote but said that it was still unhappy that it would make energy labels compulsory in visual adverts, and that it would create a new EU-wide database for household appliances. A spokesman for the parliament’s shadow rapporteur, Herbert Reul MEP, said that the 2023 date was chosen as the current label was only introduced in 2015 and had required “large preparatory works” by firms. “It is not a delay,” he said. “It is also a matter of incentivising efficiency gains from condensing gas boilers, which are currently classified as ‘A’ grade. If you changed to an A-G scale, they would probably be a ‘D’ or a ‘C’, so there would be less of an incentive to change your boiler.” Alternative “green” heating systems such as heat pumps, solar thermal and combined heat and electricity systems are currently much more expensive than condensing gas boilers. Energy efficiency campaigners counter that the current price advantage for condensing boilers - a mainstream fossil fuel technology - is precisely why a change is needed. Stephane Arditi, the campaign leader for the coolproducts website said: “The argument that heat pumps are too expensive to incentivise is the same one that was used against condensing boilers 10 years ago. By keeping an ‘A’ class for them now, we block the emergence of renewable technologies, prevent economies of scale, and also price reductions. It is insane.” The energy labelling rules could encourage public authorities to offer tax breaks and other incentives for relatively inefficient fossil fuel heaters, coolproducts argues. Europe’s heating equipment is responsible for a quarter of the continent’s CO2 emissions, around the same level as road transport or industry. Equipment for heating water and rooms is by far the largest source of energy consumption in our homes.
Attempts to introduce clearer energy labelling of boilers have been delayed until up to seven years due to opposition by rightwing MEPs in the European parliament. The existence of A+++ labels currently means that an A+ rated product may be the least energy efficient in its group. A European commission hoped to introduce a simpler A-G labelling system to avoid confusion. The proposal will now be reviewed up to seven years – if approved, the new scheme will then take 2030 to implement. 25% of the EU bloc ’s CO2 emissions are caused by heating equipment – equivalent to the amount produced by transport or industry.