Household Appliances

Different household appliances are commonly used in private household but also in companies, administrations and other institutions: fully equipped kitchens are often at office workers’ disposal as well as in many public buildings as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, etc. The most common household appliances in office buildings are refrigerating appliances, ovens, ranges and dishwashers. In schools, hospitals, kindergartens etc., also washing machines, dryers or washer-dryers are used.

The Buy Smart project concentrates on these large appliances intended for household applications, while other small appliances such as coffee machines, kettles, microwave ovens, etc. are not addressed. Also commercial and industrial equipments are not taken into consideration.

Several policy measures have been enforced at the European Union level, as well as national Member States level, for household appliances since 1994. They include mandatory and voluntary energy labels and environmental labels, mandatory ecodesign/energy efficiency requirements and industry voluntary agreements. By far the most effective and well know policy for this product group is the mandatory EU energy labelling. A set of national voluntary eco-label are also in place not to forget the EU ecolabel.

All these labels considered in the Buy Smart project as a source of energy and environmental criteria for the procurement of eco-efficient products and are here described highlighting their main (awarding) criteria.