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Why are appliances and equipment important?

The appliances and equipment category includes larger devices that are plugged into electricity mains, namely refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, dryers and televisions (appliances like air conditioners, heaters and stoves or ovens are treated seperately). Energy consumption by these devices continues to grow despite efficiency improvements, especially in emerging economies.

Where do we need to go?

To get on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, most appliances and equipment being sold in 2035 need to match today’s best available technologies. Despite improvements in efficiency resulting from stricter minimum energy performance standards in many regions, further gains are needed and must be accompanied by behavioural shifts to reduce household electricity needs.

What are the challenges?

While energy policies have led to efficiency gains, especially for major household goods such as refrigerators and televisions, small appliances and consumer electronics are not aligned with global climate goals and continue to be unregulated in most countries. Expanded policy coverage and increased stringency are needed in all countries.

The appliances and equipment category includes larger devices that are plugged into electricity mains, namely refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, dryers and televisions (appliances like air conditioners, heaters and stoves or ovens are treated seperately). Energy consumption by these devices continues to grow despite efficiency improvements, especially in emerging economies.

To get on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, most appliances and equipment being sold in 2035 need to match today’s best available technologies. Despite improvements in efficiency resulting from stricter minimum energy performance standards in many regions, further gains are needed and must be accompanied by behavioural shifts to reduce household electricity needs.

While energy policies have led to efficiency gains, especially for major household goods such as refrigerators and televisions, small appliances and consumer electronics are not aligned with global climate goals and continue to be unregulated in most countries. Expanded policy coverage and increased stringency are needed in all countries.

Latest findings

Standards and labelling can lift the average rate of energy efficiency improvement by two to three times

Based on global evidence from countries with Energy efficiency standards and labelling (EES&L) programmes, the average energy efficiency of new major appliances in these countries can increase two to three times the underlying rate of technology improvement. This can result in average energy reductions of 10-30% over 15 to 20 years in the stock of most regulated products across all countries.

In leading countries with strong regulations and long-running programmes which are regularly updated, the contribution could be much higher, with EES&L programmes helping reduce the electricity consumption of many appliances by over 50%.

Annual energy reduction in new-product energy consumption from EES&L programmes

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Tracking Appliances and Equipment

More efforts needed

Electricity consumption by appliances and equipment continues to grow, driven largely by increasing numbers of buildings and expanding ownership and use of energy-consuming devices, especially in emerging economies. 

To get on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, most appliances and equipment being sold need to match today’s best available technology in 2035. Despite improvements in efficiency resulting from stricter minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) in many regions, further gains are needed and must be accompanied by shifts in user behaviour to reduce household electricity needs. Governments need to enhance current efforts to realise this goal. 

The appliances and equipment covered on this page are mains electricity plug-in loads, namely refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, dryers and televisions, while the remaining plug load comprises other consumer electronics and miscellaneous small appliances. Major appliances and equipment used for heating, cooking, cooling and lighting are treated separately. 

Notable progress is being made in reducing emissions from appliances and equipment

Some examples of recent policy changes include: 

  • In China, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) published in 2022 a new policy paper to encourage the efficiency improvement of appliances and equipment. The benchmark system of efficiency has been brought forward, with the aim of encouraging manufacturers to produce more efficient products. 
  • In Ghana, MEPS and labels for 17 additional appliances will be in place from November 2023. Existing regulations for refrigerators are being revised to increase minimum efficiency standards, and prohibitions on the import of used electrical appliances will be introduced. In addition, the ratings on product efficiency labels are being re-categorised from five stars to seven stars, to provide more information on the efficiency of the product.  

Emissions related to appliances increased slightly in 2022, driven by continued growth in appliances ownership and utilisation

In 2022, emissions from appliances and equipment increased by around 0.5% from the previous year. This increase was slightly lower than the annual average increase of the past decade, as improvements in the carbon intensity of electricity have counteracted the upward pressure from increasing appliance use and energy demand.  

To get on track with the NZE Scenario, much more rapid improvements in energy efficiency are required, along with continued reduction in the carbon intensity of electricity, in order to achieve a 65% decline in emissions by 2030. Prioritising the use of stronger MEPS and further decarbonisation of electricity production will be key to achieving this objective. 

CO2 emissions and implied emissions intensity factor for appliances in the Net Zero Scenario, 2000-2030

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Energy consumption continues to rise, but needs to plateau by 2030 to get on track with the NZE Scenario

In 2022, electricity consumption by appliances increased by about 2%, lower than the average growth in previous decade, with most growth taking place in Asia Pacific and Africa. Despite improvements in energy efficiency, increasing ownership of appliances drove up consumption, particularly in large emerging economies such as China.  

To get on track with the NZE Scenario, most appliances and equipment placed on the market and sold in 2035 would need to match today’s best available models, such that total energy consumption in 2030 is slightly lower than today’s level of approximately 5 700 TWh. An increase in the use and stringency of standards and labels will be needed to realise this goal. 

Electricity consumption by appliances and equipment in the Net Zero Scenario, 2000-2030

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An increasing number of appliances is driving higher energy consumption

Household ownership of appliances has been steadily increasing over time, as household income increases, particularly in emerging market and developing economies, and energy-consuming devices become cheaper. As of today, most households own a refrigerator, averaging 0.9 units per household, and it has become increasingly common to own more than one television, with an average 1.3 units per household. 

The stock of appliances is also rising with the increasing number of households, which continues to grow as people increasingly live in smaller household units and as the global population continues to increase. All of these upward pressures are driving up energy consumption and emissions from appliances. 

Global average household ownership of appliances in the Net Zero Scenario, 2000-2030

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Technology already exists to significantly improve the efficiency of appliances sold today

The technology of many major appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, is now relatively mature. Even so, appliances with widely differing efficiency levels are available on the market. Moving sales towards the most efficient of the available products will realise significant energy savings. 

For example, tumble dryers sold in Europe increasingly use heat pump technologies, which consume around half as much energy as a conventional vented or condensing tumble dryer. Historically, the cost of these solutions was very high, but the cost has fallen as their production and sales volumes have risen. 

An increasing number of countries are using MEPS and labels

Over 110 countries now have MEPS in force for new appliances placed on the market. A similar number of countries employ mandatory energy efficiency labels for new appliances with the aim to improve the efficiency of appliances and equipment sold in their markets. Most of the major appliance types are now covered with such regulations. The growing number of policies also covers a larger proportion of global appliances energy consumption. With a global energy coverage of almost 90%, refrigerators are the best covered appliances. Televisions and dishwashers have seen strong growth rising from around 20% in 2010 to 70% and 50% in 2022. Energy coverage of labels show a similar trend. 

Global energy consumption covered by minimum energy performance standards for selected appliances in 2000, 2010 and 2022

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Global energy consumption covered by mandatory comparative labels for selected appliances in 2000, 2010 and 2022

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Demand-response requirements in appliances and equipment

Several countries have already begun introducing policies to promote demand-side flexibility, both for energy-using appliances and equipment. Countries that are at the forefront of exploring this issue include Australia, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

International initiatives are providing capacity to support governments in developing effective appliance policy

The principal organisations and initiatives involved in facilitating international collaboration on energy-efficient electrical appliances include:  

  • The Energy Efficient End-use Equipment Technology Collaboration Programme (4E TCP), part of the IEA's network of 39 TCPs, is dedicated to sharing information and transferring experience to support good policy development in the field of energy-efficient appliances and equipment. 
  • The Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative, is a collaboration of more than 20 governments, the IEA and other partners to accelerate and strengthen the design and implementation of energy efficiency policies for appliances and equipment. This includes the Product Efficiency Call to Action, launched at COP26, which aims to double the efficiency of key appliances sold globally.  
  • CLASP, the “Collaborative Labelling and Appliance Standards Program”, has expanded its activity on appliances to include access to clean energy through off-grid appliance energy performance and quality. 
  • United for Efficiency (U4E), is a global effort supporting developing countries and emerging economies to move their markets to energy-efficient appliances and equipment.  

We would like to thank the following external reviewers:

  • Mark Ellis, 4E TCP
  • Hans-Paul Siderius, Netherlands Enterprise Agency

Recommendations

Achievements of Energy Efficiency Appliance and Equipment Standards and Labelling Programmes

This summary report provides an overview of the impact that standards and labelling programmes are having on the energy efficiency of energy-using appliances and equipment in countries around the world.