People have the power : consumers & energy efficient products : 41 projects making a difference - funded by the Intelligent Energy - Europe programme

This report provides a summary of a selection of projects related to the energy efficiency of products funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe IEE programme. The projects cover different product groups and activities, including, but not limited to, retailer campaigns, appliance testing, procurement, purchasing guidelines, awareness raising, market surveillance and enforcement monitoring of ecodesign and energy labelling directives. Improving energy efficiency is arguably the most cost-effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency also brings numerous economic and social benefits. To support the integration of energy efficiency measures into national legislation, the European Commission has proposed several directives that have been adopted and are now in force. These cover broad areas where there is significant energy saving potential for equipment and products. Important examples include the Directive on Eco-design Requirements for Energy-using Products, the Directive on the Energy Labelling of Domestic Appliances and the Regulation on the Energy Efficiency Labelling Programme for Office Equipment (Energy Star). Considerable effort has gone into reducing energy consumption by appliances, but changes in lifestyle have offset a large part of this; therefore, there is a need to promote and improve energy efficiency.