Policy Recommendations Tumble Driers

Download full Policy Recommendations for Tumble Driers (July 2016)

Summary

The new Energy Label for driers with classes up to A+++ has been introduced in 2012. In November Ecodesign tier 1 banned driers less efficient than class C from the market. Since November 2015 tier 2 applies: only for classes B and better new models can be put on the market. The consumption differences are still huge: A+++ driers consume 65% less energy than class B driers. Class B driers have no heat pump, while driers in classes A and better all use the efficient heat pump technology.

Market data shows that in 2014, already 42% of all drier sales in Europe were heat pump driers. Product lists on www.topten.eu show that there is a huge market offer of efficient heat pump driers: there are already 22 A+++ and 57 A++ driers on the EU market (A+ models also have a heat pump, but are not listed on Topten). 32 of these models also reach the best condensation efficiency class A.

The new label allows consumers also to see the large efficiency differences between different heat pump driers, which was not possible with the old label. The Ecodesign regulation bans only the worst performing non-heat pump driers from the market. There is a much higher saving potential, which should be tackled in a near revision of the regulations:

Energy efficiency: A+ as future requirement
Driers without heat pump should be announced to be banned from the future market soon. Switzerland is going ahead and has banned driers less efficient than class A+.

More ambitious condensation efficiency requirements
A condensation efficiency of 70% is required since November 2015, meaning that still 30% of the humidity can be expelled to the room and cause damages. 36 models on Topten.eu reach condensation efficiency values of more than 90% (class A). In a future revision more ambitious condensation efficiency requirements should be announced.

Cover excluded tumble driers: washer-driers and professional driers
With the current old Energy Label for washer-driers their efficiency cannot be compared to that of driers nor of washing machines. And in professional driers a large untackled saving potential lies. Ambitious minimum efficiency requirements and a (better) energy Label should apply also for combined washer-driers and for professional tumble driers.

General: Market monitoring
The development of the markets should be assessed regularly and based on sound sales data. Such a market monitoring allows determining when a revision of the Energy Label and the Ecodesign requirements is due. It also serves as a basis for decisions on the design of a future labelling scale and minimum energy efficiency requirements.

07/2016 Michel/Bush

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