Eco Design and Energy Labelling Of Vacuum Cleaners

The EU's Eco-design and Energy Labelling regulations apply to all new mains-powered vacuum cleaners from 2014. In order to comply with the regulations, vacuum cleaners must meet specific performance criteria, including energy efficiency, noise levels, pick-up performance, filtration, and input power (now capped at 1600w).

The regulations have been introduced to standardise the performance metrics of vacuum cleaners, allowing consumers to make an informed choice when purchasing, and also to promote energy efficiency. The energy label will be a familiar sight to many, as it's been used on a range of household appliances including washing machines, dishwashers, and fridges since as early as 1995. It is designed to provide consumers with accurate comparable information about the appliance's energy consumption and performance.

Beyond the new information provided on the energy label, you shouldn't notice anything different with your new vacuum cleaner, which should perform as expected. You may see some instructions in your user guide that encourage you to make changes to your machine in certain circumstances.These are optional suggestions to help you get the very best performance in use.

For a limited time after September 2014, you will see some older vacuum cleaners on sale that haven't been engineered in line with the new regulations. These vacuum cleaners are compliant with UK legislation and the manufacturer's warranty applies. For more information see the terms and conditions of the manufacturer's warranty.