Services: Electrical testing and certification, environmental or chemical testing

language
- English
- 中文

400-9269-886

NEWS CENTER

Industry News

Company News

Knowledge

Switzerland revises energy efficiency regulations for household appliances, expected to take effect on July 1, 2025

Time：

2025-05-12

Switzerland has revised its household appliance energy efficiency regulations and plans to implement stricter energy efficiency access standards for 11 types of consumer goods, including refrigerators, washing machines, and smartphones. It is expected to officially come into effect on July 1, 2025.

The Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs (SECO) submitted a revised draft of the Energy Efficiency Regulations to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in April 2025, proposing to implement stricter energy efficiency access standards for 11 categories of consumer goods, including refrigerators, washing machines, and smartphones. The regulation is scheduled to be passed on June 1, 2025 and officially come into effect on July 1, 2025, marking a crucial step for Switzerland in achieving its "2050 carbon neutrality" goal.

瑞士.webp.png

Main revision content

According to the WTO notification document (No. G/TBT/N/CHE/1234), this revision includes the following products in the scope of mandatory energy efficiency supervision:

01. Key categories

Refrigerators/freezers, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, electronic displays, space heaters, direct sales refrigeration equipment, smartphones and accessories, ventilation equipment, standby appliances and other products.

02. Core indicators
Energy efficiency level: Introduce a six level labeling system from A++to D, and eliminate D-level inefficient products;

Standby power consumption: The standby energy consumption of electronic devices should be ≤ 0.5W (current standard is 1W);

Dynamic testing: The washing machine needs to add a "multi load combination test" to simulate energy efficiency degradation in real usage scenarios.

Compared to international standards:

Product Category	Swiss New Regulations (2025)	EU ErP Directive (2023)	Energy Star of the United States (2024)
Fridge	Annual power consumption ≤ 320kWh	≤350kWh	≤300kWh
Washing Machine	Water consumption ≤ 55L/cycle	≤60L/cycle	≤50L/cycle
Standby Power	≤0.5W	≤0.8W	≤1W

03. Current Energy Situation in Switzerland

Switzerland, as one of the countries with the highest per capita energy consumption in Europe, is facing pressure from the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

1. Contradiction in energy structure: Hydroelectric power accounts for 60% of Switzerland's electricity supply, but it relies on French nuclear power and German coal-fired power in winter, with an energy import dependency of 75%;

2. Climate commitment pressure: According to the Federal Climate Strategy 2050, the home appliance industry needs to contribute 12% of the emission reduction target;

3. Upgrade of technical barriers: The new version of the EU's Ecological Design Directive requires all imported household appliances to provide a full lifecycle carbon footprint report after 2025, and Switzerland's new regulations have advanced this requirement.

04. Industry pain points

1. Only 45% of existing refrigerator products in Switzerland achieve A-level energy efficiency;

2. The problem of excessive standby power consumption in smartphones is prominent, with sample testing showing that 38% of 5G smartphones have standby power consumption exceeding 1W;

3. Small household appliances such as ventilators and electric heaters lack unified energy efficiency standards, leading to frequent market chaos.

05. Official suggestion

Marco Meyer, an official from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), suggests:

1. Technical adaptation: Prioritize the use of rare earth permanent magnet motors (energy efficiency improvement of 20%) and phase change thermal storage materials (reducing standby energy consumption);

2. Localized layout: Establish a research and development center in Switzerland, use the "Green Technology Visa" to attract talent, and shorten the certification cycle;

3. Data compliance: Connect to the Swiss Energy Data Platform (SEDP) and upload real-time product energy consumption data for regulatory review.