New energy labels, stricter rules and NATCP action - a quarter of fridges failed to meet standards

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NATCP) is paying particular attention to energy labelling compliance. Government offices under the professional supervision of the NATCP carry out regular checks to ensure that energy labels and product information sheets for household appliances are displayed in accordance with legal requirements, both in traditional shops and online. In 2025, checks found infringements in one in three cases, with a quarter of refrigerators not complying with the legislation.

On March 1, 2021, the European Union's energy labeling system returned to an energy class scale ranging from A to G, which is intended to promote more informed decision-making by consumers and more efficient product development by manufacturers. The regulation covers dishwashers, washing machines, washer-dryers, refrigerators, light sources, televisions, and monitors.

As part of the amendment, from July 1, 2025, household dryers will also only be allowed to be sold with the new type of energy label. At the same time, eco-design regulations have also been tightened: from this date onwards, only energy-efficient heat pump dryers may be placed on the market.

The new label for household dryers includes, among other things, the brand name, model identifier, energy efficiency class (A–G), energy consumption for 100 drying cycles (kWh), condensation efficiency class, noise emission level, eco program capacity and duration, and a reference to the relevant legislation. A new feature is the QR code, which links to detailed product data sheets available in the European Energy Labeling Product Registry, known as the EPREL database.

Government offices under the professional supervision of the NATCP continuously monitor compliance with energy labeling rules. This spring, a comprehensive inspection of refrigerators, freezers, and wine coolers was carried out. Government offices carried out a total of 172 inspections nationwide and found violations in 56 cases, accounting for one-third of all inspections. The rejection rate in online stores was 63%, while the authority had a much more favorable experience in traditional stores.

During the investigation, 2,025 different types of products were inspected, and a quarter of them were found to be in violation of the law. Almost all products in traditional stores had energy labels, but in online stores, 15% of the labels were missing. More unfavorably, product information sheets were not available on 41% of online platforms. The authority found that although suppliers provide the necessary documents, in many cases online stores fail to upload and display them.

The authority also paid particular attention to the compliance of visual advertisements and technical promotional materials, such as advertisements, leaflets, and brochures. According to the investigations, 22% of these did not display the energy efficiency class or did not display it correctly.

The NATCP draws distributors' attention to the fact that energy labeling and product information obligations apply not only to retail sales, but also to online commerce and all advertising media. In order to prevent violations of the law, the authority continuously monitors the activities of market participants and takes all necessary measures to ensure compliance with the law.