New labelling on energy efficiency for household appliances (such as fridges, washing machines, freezers etc) is being phased in.

This change is because energy labelling was originally brought in over 25 years ago in the UK, and appliances have become much more efficient over that time. This means that 80% of washing machines are now rated A++ or A+++ under the old labelling, making it difficult for consumers to differentiate between appliances.

In the new system, A+ A++ and A+++ ratings have been scrapped, and the criteria for the remaining A-G ratings have been made more strict, to enable proper differentiation between appliances.

Additional new features on the labelling include all appliances including a noise rating from A-D, with A being the quietist, as well as amount of energy used in washing machines now being shown per 100 wash cycles instead of an average per year rating.