Raising product standards for space heating

Closes 25 Mar 2025

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Part 4: Improving energy labels

It is essential that users and installers are provided with accurate information about the energy use of products on the market, to enable them to make informed decisions about what to buy.

The energy labels provided by manufacturers are a key mechanism for ensuring this. Labelling has been successful in achieving cost-effective improvements in energy efficiency and empowering consumers to purchase more efficient products.

The current energy labels for space heaters and combination heaters were introduced in 2013. They were updated in 2021 to replace the EU flag with the Union flag; however the other components were not reviewed at that time.

Part 4 sets out proposals to refresh the label design to ensure that they clearly present critical information on the wider range of products available on the market, including proposals on:

  • rescaling the space heating energy efficiency classes
  • how to display the range of energy efficiency classes on visual advertising
  • adding useful information to the energy label, including the space heating energy efficiency, symbols to indicate the fuel(s) that the appliance uses, a QR code to enable the user to find further information relating to the appliance
  • removing the package and cogeneration heaters labels
65. Do you agree that setting the threshold for class A at 260% at medium-temperature application, and at 325% at low-temperature application, would mean that this band would be vacant at the point of implementation?
66. Do you agree that the existing boiler MEPS and our proposed hybrid heat pump and air-source heat pump MEPS should be used as class thresholds in the proposed rescaling?
67. Do you agree that the seasonal space heating energy efficiency values for the low-temperature scale should be calculated using a 1.25 multiplier from the medium-temperature scale?
68. Is there any information that is not currently included in Table 1, that you feel should be added?
69. Is there any information that is currently included in Table 1, that you feel should be removed?
70. Should the water heating energy efficiency scale be recalibrated to a 7-band scale, A to G?
71. (a) What are the highest water heating energy efficiencies of combination heaters on the market now and (b) what do you expect their performance to be in 2035? Please provide evidence or reasoning to support your answer.
72. a) What are the highest water heating energy efficiencies of standalone water heaters on the market now and (b) what do you expect their performance to be in 2035? Please provide evidence or reasoning to support your answer.
73. Do you agree with the proposal to retain current label requirements on: minimum sizing, Union Flag, name of the supplier and model, energy efficiency scale, noise levels and off-peak capability symbol?
74. Do you agree that the current package and cogeneration heater labels should be removed, and that information on controls class, solar assistance and cogeneration should be incorporated into other labels?
75. Do you agree with the proposed inclusion of the efficiency of the appliance (at multiple flow temperatures and temperature zones, where relevant), as a percentage, in addition to the efficiency class?
76. Do you agree with the proposed inclusion of symbols to indicate the fuel(s) used, indicated by a check box system(s) and do the symbols clearly indicate the specific fuel?
77. Do you agree with the proposed inclusion of a QR code which enables the user to find further information relating to the appliance?
78. Do you agree that a A+++ to D water heating energy efficiency scale should appear alongside the rescaled A to G space heating classes until the Government has completed a review of water heating?
79. Do you agree with the design of the boiler labels, as per Images 1 and 2?
80. Do you agree with the designs for the label when used for heat pump space heaters and combination heaters, as per Images 3 and 4 respectively?
81. Do you agree that when the label is used for low-temperature heat pumps only, it should not include the medium-temperature space heating energy efficiency scale or the medium-temperature-rated heat output as shown in Images 3, only low-temperature?
82. Do you agree that when the label is used for hybrid heat pumps, it should not include the low-temperature space heating energy efficiency scale or the rated heat output, as per Images 5 and 6?
83. Should we look to introduce a new label, at a later date, solely for hybrid heat pumps (rather than continue to use the heat pump label for standalone heat pumps and hybrid heat pumps)?
84. Do you agree that the same requirements for labelling of visual advertisements should apply to distance selling through the internet and not through the internet?
85. Do you agree that the climate conditions should be omitted from the visual advertisements pictogram itself?
86. For combination heaters, do you agree that the space heating and water heating efficiencies should be displayed in separate pictograms, and that these should show a radiator and tap symbol to indicate that the energy efficiency class relates to space and water heating respectively, as set out in images 9 and 10?
87. For heat pump heaters, do you agree with our proposal that where the space heating energy efficiency classes calculated at low- and medium-temperature application are the same, only one space heating pictogram is required, but where the energy efficiency class at low- and medium-temperature application is different, this should be displayed on two separate pictograms?
88. Do you agree that where the space heating energy efficiency class at low- and medium-temperature application is different, the heat pump visual advertisement pictograms should indicate the flow temperature using ‘35°’ and ‘55°’, as set out in images 11 and 12, rather than ‘LT’ and ‘MT’ as set out in images 13 and 14?
89. Do you agree that where the space heating energy efficiency class at low- and medium-temperature application is different, the heat pump visual advertisement pictograms should still contain a radiator symbol, as set out in images 11 and 12?
90. For heat pump combination heaters where the space heating energy efficiency classes calculated at low- and medium-temperature application are different, do you agree with the design of the three pictograms as set out in images 10, 11 and 12?
91. Do you agree that the energy labelling proposals should take effect from mid-2026 and that new energy labels should be required from this date?
92 . Would it be useful to complete an evaluation earlier than 2034, if so, when and why?
93. Do you agree that the legislation, as drafted, achieves our energy labelling objectives and reflects our proposals, as set out in this consultation?
94. Are there are additional policies, not covered in this consultation, you would like to see adopted under energy labelling for space heaters, and why should they be prioritised?