How will Lot 20 of the Ecodesign Directive affect the future of radiators?.

With energy efficiency becoming ever more important, the EU has been driving regulatory and legislative changes in energy-consuming technologies with the Ecodesign Directive. The new Directive requires manufacturers to design and make products with improved energy efficiency to reduce energy consumption, environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Commission believes the Directive “helps eliminate the least performing products from the market, significantly contributing to the EU’s 2020 energy efficiency objective. It also supports industrial competitiveness and innovation by promoting the better environmental performance of products throughout the Internal Market”.

Compliant products must meet a minimum space heating energy efficiency requirement, have a Declaration of Conformity, display the CE label, and have supporting technical information that proves compliance. The Directive will be enforced by The National Measurement and Regulation Office, with the threat of legal action or even criminal prosecution of manufacturers producing non-compliant products.

There are 37 ‘Lots’ under the Directive that cover a variety of electrical products, with Lot 20 being specifically about space heaters.

Lot 20

The new Lot 20 Directive means that local space heaters using “electricity, gaseous or liquid fuels” that have been manufactured for sale since 1 January this year must comply with minimum efficiency standards. The efficiency rating of a heater is determined by the number of energy-saving features it has.

Retailers can still sell their old, non-compliant stock, even if it not energy-efficient to meet the new regulations. However, once the stock has gone, it must be replaced with compliant and more energy-efficient models.

Although Lot 20 is an EU Directive, uptake in the UK will not be affected by Brexit as the same legislation has already been written into UK law. Click here to find out how Lot 20 will affect you as a consumer.

As of 1 January 2018, everything we sell at The Radiator Centre is fully compliant with the Ecodesign Directive. Visit our Leamington Spa, Bristol, Clapham, Brighton, Islington or St Albans radiator showroom to see our range of designer radiators for yourself.