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How to combine policies and measures for energy efficiency in appliances

This guide is designed to help you find an appropriate combination of policies and measures to gradually make very energy efficient appliances the standard and to achieve high energy savings.

In our recommended package, bigEE distinguishes between the set of specific policies and measures for energy efficiency in appliances presented below and the common Governance Framework policies needed to guide and enable the former, shown in the graph to the right.

Value chains for appliances are complex, and many different actors have to work together to achieve an optimal outcome. Therefore, policies and measures need to be combined to a well-designed package. We recommend a combination here that has been proven by analysing what advanced countries do and what market actors need. However, policymakers need to consider demand- and supply-side actors, national circumstances and the most important market barriers in their country and select their priorities. Each instrument has a certain aim, such as to disallow energy-wasting technologies, promote the most energy-efficient ones, or stimulate innovation. The impact of well-combined policies is therefore often larger than the sum of the individual impacts.

The graph presents policy interaction and dynamics towards making very energy efficient appliances the standard.

Mandatory Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and Energy labels are the most important policies to increase the energy efficiency of appliances. MEPS prevent the marketing of energy-wasting products. Energy labels promote progress towards the best available technologies, along with further policies needed to help tackle the substantial information deficits and financing barriers. These include Financial Incentives and Financing, as well as Education and Training programmes and Information campaigns.
RD&D and BAT promotion will drive the development of more innovative and energy-efficient appliances.

Note: In our footer you can find the full analysis on which policies to combine and how they should work together to improve energy efficiency in new and existing buildings