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The new national standard for energy efficiency of household refrigerators will be enforced on June 1, 2026! Energy efficiency upgrade, eliminate false volume labeling

Time：

2026-05-26

GB 12021.2-2025 "Limiting Values and Energy Efficiency Grades for Household Refrigerators" will be mandatory from June 1, 2026. The national standard for energy efficiency of refrigerators has further expanded its scope of application, adding requirements such as volume utilization rate and smart grid signal response capability, effectively curbing "false volume" and significantly improving the energy efficiency levels of refrigerators.

GB 12021.2-2025 "Maximum allowable values of energy consumption and energy efficiency grades for household refrigerators", mandatory implementation from June 1, 2026. The revised national standard for refrigerator energy efficiency further expands the scope of application, adds requirements such as volume utilization rate and smart grid signal response capability, and significantly raises the indicator requirements for various energy efficiency grades as well as the entry threshold for maximum allowable values of energy consumption.

GB 12021.2-2025

Main revised content of the new standard

The refrigerator energy efficiency standard specifies the maximum power consumption, energy efficiency grades, and implementation requirements for household refrigerators, and describes the corresponding test methods.

Expand the scope of application

The new standard further expands the scope of application, and for the first time, semiconductor refrigerators of 60L and below are included in the regulatory scope, in addition to traditional compressor refrigeration refrigerators.

Suitable for motor-driven compression type household refrigerators and semiconductor refrigeration appliances with a capacity of less than or equal to 60L.

Not applicable to refrigeration appliances designed specifically for commercial or vehicle use.

Add refrigerator category

To describe the energy efficiency characteristics of different refrigerators, the new refrigerator energy efficiency standard classifies products based on compartment types, structural features, etc., using refrigerator type codes and category names, totaling 10 categories.

Improve energy efficiency indicators

The biggest change in the new version of the refrigerator energy efficiency standard is the use of comprehensive power consumption to evaluate the energy efficiency index of refrigerators (except for semiconductor refrigeration appliances), which has raised the requirements for energy efficiency levels and the entry threshold for power consumption limits of refrigerators, significantly reducing the power consumption of refrigerators. The new energy efficiency standard still divides energy efficiency levels into 5 levels, with level 1 being the highest energy efficiency.

Taking the refrigerated freezer, which has the largest market share and is most commonly used in households, as an example, the old version of the first level energy efficiency requirement had a comprehensive energy efficiency index of η t ≤ 50%, while the new version directly tightened it to η t ≤ 20%; The second level interval has also been adjusted from 50%<η t ≤ 60% to 20%<η t ≤ 27%. In other words, the original first level product may only be equivalent to the second or even third level under the new standard. Taking a 500 liter double door refrigerator as an example, the old level consumes about 0.92 kWh per day, while the new level must be compressed to within 0.55 kWh, increasing the energy efficiency threshold by about 40%.

Not only ordinary refrigerators, but other types of products are also facing significant tightening of indicators. For example, the first level energy efficiency index of a vertical freezer has been reduced from 45% to 30%, and the wine storage cabinet has been compressed from 55% to 35%. The comprehensive reset of energy efficiency levels this time will force enterprises to accelerate the large-scale application of core technologies such as variable frequency control, high-efficiency compressors, and vacuum insulation panels.

In addition, the new standard also imposes strict limits on the "allowable error": the measured power consumption shall not exceed 115% of the nominal value, and the measured energy efficiency index shall not exceed 105% of the nominal value. This design not only reserves reasonable space for normal production fluctuations, but also effectively suppresses the use of false parameters to promote high-level industry chaos.

New volume utilization requirements

One of the most prominent changes in the new version of the standard is the addition of a capacity utilization assessment indicator, which is directly included in the calculation formula for benchmark power consumption. Simply put, volume utilization rate refers to the proportion of the actual space that a refrigerator can hold to its exterior volume. The old version of the standard only assessed the total volume, which led some companies to reduce energy consumption by thickening the insulation layer and increasing the appearance size, resulting in many refrigerators having a "big shell and small belly", and consumers wasting money on "virtual fat" products.

The new standard specifies that the measured volume utilization rate must not be lower than 97% of the rated value, and introduces a reward mechanism in the energy efficiency formula - the higher the space utilization rate, the more advantageous the energy efficiency rating. This mechanism aims to guide enterprises to optimize their internal structural design, encourage them to use high-performance, small-sized insulation materials, and encourage them to pay more attention to space utilization efficiency and material performance in product design and production processes. At the same time, the measurement rules for external dimensions are further clarified: protruding parts such as door handles and compressors need to be included, leaving no "shrinkage" space for nominal data. The measured total volume shall not be lower than 97% of the nominal value, allowing the labeled capacity to return to its true and usable nature.

First definition of "cryogenic chamber"

The new standard has, for the first time, provided a clear definition and classification for deep-freeze compartments: those with characteristic temperatures ≤-30℃ are classified as Type I deep-freeze compartments, while those ≤-40℃ are Type II, and are assigned higher weighting coefficients and functional correction factors.

Introduce the "Smart Grid Signal Response" function

The new standard includes the smart grid signal response function for the first time in the energy efficiency evaluation system, and is accompanied by a complete testing method (Appendix A), guiding refrigerator enterprises to increase their research and development investment in intelligent technology, and promoting the development of refrigerator products towards intelligence and green direction.

According to the requirements, refrigerators with this function must support open communication protocols and be able to receive and respond to commands from the power grid such as off peak defrosting, delayed load, and temporary power consumption reduction. Products that pass the assessment can receive a 5% correction factor discount (Sg=1.05) in the benchmark power consumption calculation. This design means that the refrigerator is shifting from a single energy consuming terminal to an energy-saving node with active response capabilities.

GB 12021.2-2025

Compliance Recommendations

On June 1, 2026, GB 12021.2-2025 "Limiting Values for Electricity Consumption and Energy Efficiency Grades of Household Refrigerators" will be enforced. The new version of the standard has significantly raised the energy efficiency threshold, effectively curbing the "virtual standard volume", and expanding the assessment dimension from a single daily electricity consumption to a multi-dimensional evaluation model that emphasizes space efficiency (volume utilization rate), preservation ability (deep cold room), and smart interaction (smart grid response). Enterprises must upgrade their technology to meet the new national standards, ensure that their products meet energy efficiency standards, complete filing, and comply with market regulations.

As a professional third-party testing and certification service organization, Jiayu Testing has qualifications such as CMA, CNAS, CBTL, CCC, etc. It is a laboratory for energy efficiency labeling registration and testing in China, and has been recognized by multiple authoritative certification institutions at home and abroad. It is equipped with advanced instruments and equipment, has a skilled professional technical team, rich industry service experience, and strong testing technology capabilities. It is proficient in various regulations and standards, and specializes in providing China's energy efficiency labeling registration and testing services for various electronic and electrical products. If your product requires safety and energy efficiency certification, please feel free to contact us at 400-9269-886！