Commission launches public consultation on ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for solid fuel boilers

Τhe European Commission has today launched a 12-week public consultation on ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for solid fuel boilers. A call for evidence will run in parallel to each of the public consultations. The input from stakeholders and civil society on both of these surveys will provide valuable input for the Commission’s preparation of new environmental targets for solid fuel boilers. The new legislation including those targets is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2025.

In 2015, the EU introduced rules which set minimum energy efficiency requirements for solid fuel boilers (Regulation 2015/1189), and established energy labelling rules on solid fuel boilers (Regulation 2015/1187). These measures have encouraged manufacturers to develop more energy-efficient and less polluting solid fuel boilers for the EU market, and helped consumers to choose more advanced heaters - leading to energy savings for the consumers, lower emissions and improved air quality, notably in more densely-populated (and often more polluted) areas.

This new initiative will assess, among other aspects:

• the setting of more stringent requirements on energy efficiency and pollutant emissions;
• the inclusion in the legal scope of boilers fuelled with non-woody biomass and boilers above 500 kW of heat output;
• the modification of the energy label to include additional information, such as the water heating efficiency or the level of pollutant emissions;
• the adoption of material-efficiency requirements, including reparability;
• the need for third-party certification.

The consultation targets individuals and organisations with an interest in these rules. Feedback is particularly encouraged from the general public, public authorities, businesses, and non-governmental organisations. In line with EU's better regulation principles, the consultation will run for 12 weeks until 21 December 2023. It is available in all 24 EU languages.

EU ecodesign requirements aim to make appliances more energy-efficient and thereby help the EU reduce greenhouse gas emissions (and reduce dependence on imports). They also help consumers to reduce their energy bills – reflecting the motto ‘the cheapest source of energy is the one we don’t consume’. The energy label is widely recognised by EU consumers and shown to encourage individuals to buy more energy-efficient products – as well as incentivising manufacturers to innovate in order to be classified in a higher energy-efficiency category.

Related links

• Call for evidence and public consultation for solid fuel boilers
  • Energy efficiency – Ecodesign requirements for solid-fuel boilers (review)
  • Energy labelling requirements for solid fuel boilers (review)
• About the energy label and ecodesign
• Energy efficient products – the different product categories
• Product database