The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information Regulations 2021

Functional requirements

3.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (8), refrigerating appliances must meet the following requirements.

(2) Any fast freeze facility, or any similar function achieved through modification of the temperature settings in freezer compartments, must automatically revert to the manufacturer setting no more than 72 hours after being activated by the user according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

(3) Winter settings must be automatically activated or de-activated in order to maintain frozen compartments at the correct temperature.

(4) Each compartment must be marked with the appropriate identification symbol, as follows—

(a) for frozen compartments, the number of stars of the compartment;

(b) for chill and unfrozen compartments, an indication, provided by the manufacturer, authorised representative or importer, of the type of food that should be stored in the compartment.

(5) If the refrigerating appliance contains vacuum insulation panels, the refrigerating appliance must be clearly labelled with the letters “VIP”, in such a way that the labelling is clearly visible, legible and indelible.

(6) For 2-star sub-compartments or 2-star sections—

(a) a 2-star sub-compartment or 2-star section must be separated from the 3-star or 4-star compartment by a partition, container, or similar construction;

(b) the volume of the 2-star sub-compartment or 2-star section must not exceed 20 per cent of the total volume of the compartment in which it is contained.

(7) For 4-star compartments, the freezing time to bring the temperature of a light load from +25 to -18 °C at an ambient temperature of 25 °C must be such that the resulting freezing capacity is not lower than 4.5 kg per 24 h per 100 litres of volume of the freezer compartment, with a minimum of 2.0 kg/24 h;

(8) Until 1 March 2024, sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) do not apply to combi appliances with one electromechanical thermostat and one compressor which are not equipped with an electronic control board.