“Report on Revision of the Label Display Program for Retailers” Compiled

The Label Display Program for Retailers (*1) under the Act on the Rational Use of Energy (Act No.49 of 1979) contributes to providing product information to consumers and helping consumers choose energy-efficient equipment. In this context, ANRE considers it necessary to revise the system to further improve its quality.

To this end, since its establishment in December 2019 under ANRE, the council on the label display program for retailers (*2) has been holding discussions and, on September 1, 2020, it compiled the discussion results into the “Report on Revision of the Label Display Program for Retailers” (*3) through the meeting on July 10, 2020.

For air conditioners, television sets and water heaters, which are equipment under discussion with regard to their standard energy consumption efficiencies (energy efficiency standards) under the Top Runner Program, which are regulations governing energy efficiencies involving energy-consuming equipment, the council will continue to discuss the revision of the system bearing in mind the progress in deliberations by other councils on the respective equipment.

Outline of the major revision of the system

Revision of the scope of equipment subject to the system

The scope of fluorescent lighting equipment and LED lamps as equipment subject to the system has been revised as below.

Before the revision	After the revision
Fluorescent lighting equipment (lighting equipment for fluorescent lamps +  fluorescent lamps)	Lighting equipment (lighting equipment for fluorescent lamps + LED lighting equipment)
LED lamps (LED lamps)	Light bulbs (LED lamps + fluorescent lamps + incandescent bulbs)

Revision of the multiple-scale scoring system (comparative evaluation of energy consumption efficiency)

The current five-star scoring system for evaluating products is to be revised to a 41-point-scale scoring system for evaluating products between 1.0 and 5.0 in 0.1 point increments.

Moreover, the current indication of the results of energy-efficiency evaluations by category of equipment in accordance with several standards is to be revised to an indication of the result of such evaluations by equipment category in accordance with one standard, which means that the same type of equipment, e.g., refrigerators, is to be evaluated based on one energy conservation standard as a result of revising the current evaluation system based on multiple energy conservation standards.

Revision of the design of uniform energy saving labels and new establishment of mini-labels[A4] 

The current uniform energy saving labels are to be revised to simpler, easier-to-understand, color-coded designs that will reduce redundant information for the purpose of removing concerns over misunderstandings.

Moreover, ANRE will newly establish official mini-labels indicating product energy efficiency in order to help retailers to provide information on product energy efficiency even for smaller target products or smaller web-based spaces displaying such products, e.g., for online trading.

*Notes:

1. This system started in 2006 in order to help consumers choose energy-efficiency equipment, in which retailers make use of labels (e.g., official energy efficiency labels), indicating the energy consumption efficiency of target equipment (e.g., refrigerators), in an easy-to-understand manner.

2. The Working Group on Classification standards for Retail Labeling and Conservation Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy

3. Report compiled by the Working Group on Classification standards for Retail Labeling and Conservation Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy

Related documents

• Report Compiled by Working Group on Classification Standards for Indication of Product Energy Efficiency by Retailers (Summary) (PDF:620KB)

Division in Charge

Energy Efficiency Division, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy