Energy labeling requirements
What the EU Energy Labeling Regulation requires from your online store, in plain words — and how the app covers it.
If you sell energy-related products to customers in the EU, showing energy labels in your store is a legal requirement, not a design choice. This page summarizes what Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 and the product-specific regulations expect from an online store. It is a plain-language summary, not legal advice: the binding texts are the regulations themselves. The European Commission maintains an official overview of dealer obligations.
Which products are covered
The energy labeling regulations currently apply to 19 product groups — refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, electronic displays, light sources, heaters, air conditioners, tires, smartphones and tablets, and more. The full list is on the European Commission's product list. Second-hand and used products are generally out of scope.
Not sure about a product? Search for the model in the EPREL public database — if it's registered, it needs a label — or ask your supplier.
What your store must display
For every covered product, your store must show the energy label and the product information sheet (PIS):
Close to the product's price — or, where no price is shown, close to its name or picture. As a rule of thumb from the Commission's guidance, the distance between the price and the label should not exceed the size of the smaller of the two; the final assessment of a specific design rests with the national market surveillance authority.
On every page where the product appears: the home page, collection and list pages, search results, product pages, and the cart. This applies even where the product can't be added to the cart.
Clearly visible and easy to read, with the class letter in the energy arrow in the same font size as the price.
In lists and search results that show no price, only the energy label is required; where a price is shown, both the label and the PIS are.
How you're allowed to display it
You don't have to place the full label next to every product. The regulations define a nested display: a compact class arrow — in the color of the product's class, showing the class letter and the range (for example, B on a scale of A–G) — that opens the full energy label on one click or tap. The PIS may likewise be a link that opens the full document in one click.
Three details matter here:
The arrow must show both the class and the range, in the correct color.
The arrow points to the left. For smartphones, slate tablets, and tumble dryers this is mandatory; the Commission recommends it for all product groups.
The PIS link must be titled exactly "Product information sheet" (or "Product fiche" for product groups still on the older labels). Names like "Specifications" or "PIS" are non-compliant.
Uploading the label image into the product's photo gallery does not make your store compliant: the label isn't visible at all times and isn't tied to the price. Market surveillance authorities have explicitly rejected this setup.
How the app implements this
EU Energy Label implements the nested-display pattern the regulations describe: the badge is the official left-pointing class arrow with the range, a click opens the full energy label, and the "Product information sheet" link opens the official PDF generated by EPREL. Once set up, this works on product, collection, search, and cart pages — see Displaying energy labels. If you showcase covered products anywhere else, such as home page sections, those placements must carry labels too — reach out to our support team and we'll help set them up for your theme.
The app provides the display mechanics; the dealer obligations under the regulation remain with you as the merchant — see the Legal notice.
What happens if a store isn't compliant
National market surveillance authorities inspect online stores. Detected non-compliance means mandatory corrective actions and can mean fines; in some markets, notably Germany, competitors can also act on violations through formal warnings (Abmahnung). Keeping labels correct everywhere products appear is considerably cheaper than dealing with either.
Ready to set up? Start with the Setup guide.
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