Appliances - The EnerGuide Label

The EnerGuide label is a tool to help you make an energy-wise choice when buying a new appliance. It shows how much energy appliances consume in a year of normal service and makes it easy to compare the energy efficiency of each model to others of the same size and class.

Major electrical household appliances and room air conditioners sold in Canada must meet minimum energy efficiency standards and are required to display an EnerGuide label. Information on the EnerGuide label is the result of extensive testing, based on Canadian Standards Association (CSA) test procedures. The EnerGuide energy consumption rating is an average measure of how much energy individual appliances typically consume when used at different temperature and/or speed settings.

There are two types of EnerGuide labels:

EnerGuide ratings for major household Appliances range from the most energy-efficient (appliances with the lowest energy consumption) to the least energy-efficient (appliances with the highest energy consumption) in a given size and type category. For major appliances, an indicator arrow on the left side of the EnerGuide scale means lower operating costs and long-term savings.

EnerGuide ratings for Room Air Conditioners are based on the annual Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) rather than total annual energy consumption. The higher the ratio, the more energy-efficient the air conditioner. When shopping for a room air conditioner, look for display models with high EERs and indicator arrows to the right on the EnerGuide scale.