Tuesday 13 November 2018

Dyson wins EU battle over energy efficiency labelling

Dyson has won a five-year legal battle in the European courts over the way vacuum cleaners' energy efficiency is labelled.

Since September 2014, all vacuum cleaners sold in the EU have been subject to energy labelling requirements, aimed at informing consumers of the energy efficiency levels and cleaning performances of the appliances.

The regulation, however, does not provide for testing of vacuum cleaners with the dust receptacle loaded.

In 2013, Dyson challenged the proposed rules – which apply to all 28 EU nations – and said the tests carried out on empty machines were misleading as a vacuum cleaner’s energy performance does not reflect real-life conditions of use and claimed the tests favoured its rivals’ models.

The EU’s General Court ruled in favour of the household appliance manufacturer and annulled the regulation on the energy labelling of vacuum cleaners.

It said: “Since the Commission adopted a method for calculating the energy performance of vacuum cleaners based on an empty receptacle, the General Court holds that the method does not comply with the essential elements of the directive.

“The General Court finds, therefore, that the Commission disregarded an essential element of the directive and annuls the regulation since the method for calculating energy performance is not an element which may be severed from the remainder of the regulation.”

The rule will remain in place for 10 weeks to allow time for appeal.

ELN has contacted Dyson for a statement.