(a) refrigerating appliances that are primarily powered by energy sources other than electricity, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene and bio-diesel fuels;

(b) battery-operated refrigerating appliances that can be connected to the mains through an AC/DC converter, purchased separately;

(c) custom-made refrigerating appliances, made on a one-off basis and not equivalent to other refrigerating appliance models;

(d) refrigerating appliances for tertiary sector application where the removal of refrigerated foodstuffs is electronically sensed and that information can be automatically transmitted through a network connection to a remote control system for accounting;

(e) appliances where the primary function is not the storage of foodstuffs through refrigeration, such as stand-alone ice-makers or chilled drinks dispensers.

1. ‘foodstuffs’ means food, ingredients, beverages, including wine, and other items primarily intended for consumption which require refrigeration at specified temperatures;

2. ‘household refrigerating appliance’ means an insulated cabinet, with one or more compartments, intended for refrigerating or freezing foodstuffs, or for the storage of refrigerated or frozen foodstuffs for non-professional purposes, cooled by one or more energy-consuming processes including appliances sold as building kits to be assembled by the end-user;

3. ‘refrigerator’ means a refrigerating appliance intended for the preservation of foodstuffs with at least one compartment suitable for the storage of fresh food and/or beverages, including wine;

4. ‘compression-type refrigerating appliance’ means a refrigerating appliance in which refrigeration is effected by means of a motor-driven compressor;

5. ‘absorption-type refrigerating appliance’ means a refrigerating appliance in which refrigeration is effected by an absorption process using heat as the energy source;

6. ‘refrigerator-freezer’ means a refrigerating appliance with at least one fresh-food storage compartment and at least one other compartment suitable for the freezing of fresh food and the storage of frozen foodstuffs under three-star storage conditions (the food-freezer compartment);

7. ‘frozen-food storage cabinet’ means a refrigerating appliance with one or more compartments suitable for the storage of frozen foodstuffs;

8. ‘food freezer’ means a refrigerating appliance with one or more compartments suitable for freezing foodstuffs with temperatures ranging from ambient temperature down to – 18 °C, and which is also suitable for the storage of frozen foodstuffs under three-star storage conditions; a food freezer may also include two-star sections and/or compartments within the compartment or cabinet;

9. ‘wine storage appliance’ means a refrigerating appliance that has no compartment other than one or more wine storage compartments;

10. ‘multi-use appliance’ means a refrigerating appliance that has no compartment other than one or more multi-use compartments;

11. ‘equivalent refrigerating appliance’ means a model placed on the market with the same gross and storage volumes, same technical, efficiency and performance characteristics, and same compartment types as another refrigerating appliance model placed on the market under a different commercial code number by the same manufacturer.

(a) ‘other-type refrigerating appliances’ means a refrigerating appliance in which refrigeration is effected by any other technology or process than compression or absorption-types;

(b) ‘frost-free system’ means a system automatically operated to prevent the permanent formation of frost, where cooling is provided by forced air circulation, the evaporator or evaporators are defrosted by an automatic defrost system, and the water from defrosting is disposed of automatically;

(c) ‘frost-free compartment’ means any compartment defrosted by a frost-free system;

(d) ‘built-in appliance’ means a fixed refrigerating appliance intended to be installed in a cabinet, in a prepared recess in a wall or similar location, and requiring furniture finishing;

(e) ‘refrigerator-cellar’ means a refrigerating appliance where at least one fresh-food storage compartment and one cellar compartment, but no frozen-food storage, chill or ice making compartments, are present;

(f) ‘cellar’ means a refrigerating appliance where only one or more cellar compartments are present;

(g) ‘refrigerator-chiller’ means a refrigerating appliance where at least a fresh-food storage compartment and a chill compartment, but no frozen-food storage compartments, are present;

(h) ‘compartments’ means any of the compartments listed in points (i) to (p);

(i) ‘fresh-food storage compartment’ means a compartment designed for the storage of unfrozen foodstuffs, which may itself be divided into sub-compartments;

(j) ‘cellar compartment’ means a compartment intended for the storage of particular foodstuffs or beverages at a temperature warmer than that of a fresh-food storage compartment;

(k) ‘chill compartment’ means a compartment intended specifically for the storage of highly perishable foodstuffs;

(l) ‘ice-making compartment’ means a low-temperature compartment intended specifically for the freezing and storage of ice;

(m) ‘frozen-food storage compartment’ means a low-temperature compartment intended specifically for the storage of frozen foodstuffs and classified according to temperature as follows:

(i) ‘one-star compartment’: a frozen-food storage compartment in which the temperature is not warmer than – 6 °C;

(ii) ‘two-star compartment’: a frozen-food storage compartment in which the temperature is not warmer than – 12 °C;

(iii) ‘three-star compartment’: a frozen-food storage compartment in which the temperature is not warmer than – 18 °C;

(iv) ‘food freezer compartment’ (or ‘four-star compartment’): a compartment suitable for freezing at least 4,5 kg of foodstuffs per 100 l of storage volume, and in no case less than 2 kg, from ambient temperature down to – 18 °C over a period of 24 hours, which is also suitable for the storage of frozen food under three-star storage conditions, and may include two-star sections within the compartment;

(v) ‘0-star compartment’: a frozen-food storage compartment in which the temperature is < 0 °C and which can also be used for the freezing and storage of ice but is not intended for the storage of highly perishable foodstuffs;

(n) ‘wine storage compartment’ means a compartment exclusively designed either for short-term wine storage to bring wines to the ideal drinking temperature or for long-term wine storage to allow wine to mature, with the following features:

(i) continuous storage temperature, either pre-set or set manually according to the manufacturer’s instructions, in the range from + 5 °C to + 20 °C;

(ii) storage temperature(s) within a variation over time of less than 0,5 K at each declared ambient temperature specified by the climate class for household refrigerating appliances;

(iii) active or passive control of the compartment humidity in the range from 50 % to 80 %;

(iv) constructed to reduce the transmission of vibration to the compartment, whether from the refrigerator compressor or from any external source;

(o) ‘multi-use compartment’ means a compartment intended for use at two or more of the temperatures of the compartment types and capable of being set by the end-user to continuously maintain the operating temperature range applicable to each compartment type according to the manufacturer’s instructions; however, where a feature can shift temperatures in a compartment to a different operating temperature range for a period of limited duration only (such as a fast-freeze facility) the compartment is not a ‘multi-use compartment’ as defined by this Regulation;

(p) ‘other compartment’ means a compartment, other than a wine storage compartment, intended for the storage of particular foodstuffs at a temperature warmer than + 14 °C;

(q) ‘two-star section’ means part of a food-freezer, a food-freezer compartment, a three-star compartment or a three-star frozen-food storage cabinet which does not have its own individual access door or lid and in which the temperature is not warmer than – 12 °C;

(r) ‘chest freezer’, means a food freezer in which the compartment(s) is accessible from the top of the appliance or which has both top-opening type and upright type compartments but where the gross volume of the top-opening type compartment(s) exceeds 75 % of the total gross volume of the appliance;

(s) ‘top-opening type’ or ‘chest type’ means a refrigerating appliance with its compartment(s) accessible from the top of the appliance;

(t) ‘upright type’ means a refrigerating appliance with its compartment(s) accessible from the front of the appliance;

(u) ‘fast freeze’ means a reversible feature to be activated by the end-user according to the manufacturer’s instructions, which decreases the storage temperature of the freezer or freezer compartment to achieve a faster freezing of unfrozen foodstuffs.

1. From 1 July 2010:

(a) For wine storage appliances, the following information shall be displayed in the instruction booklet provided by manufacturers: ‘This appliance is intended to be used exclusively for the storage of wine’.

(b) For household refrigerating appliances, information shall be provided in the instruction booklet provided by manufacturers concerning:

— the combination of drawers, baskets and shelves that result in the most efficient use of energy for the appliance, and

— how to minimise the energy consumption of the household refrigerating appliance in the use-phase.

2. From 1 July 2013:

(a) The fast freezing facility, or any similar function achieved through modification of the thermostat settings, in freezers and freezer compartments, shall, once activated by the end-user according to the manufacturer’s instructions, automatically revert to the previous normal storage temperature conditions after no more than 72 hours. This requirement does not apply to refrigerator-freezers with one thermostat and one compressor which are equipped with an electromechanical control board.

(b) Refrigerator-freezers with one thermostat and one compressor which are equipped with an electronic control board and can be used in ambient temperatures below + 16 °C according to the manufacturer’s instructions shall be such that any winter setting switch or similar function guaranteeing the correct frozen-food storage temperature is automatically operated according to the ambient temperature where the appliance is installed.

(c) Household refrigerating appliances with a storage volume below 10 litres shall automatically enter in an operating condition with a power consumption of 0,00 Watt after no more than 1 hour when empty. The mere presence of a hard off switch shall not be considered sufficient to fulfil this requirement.

— wine storage appliances, or,

— absorption-type refrigerating appliances and other-type refrigerating appliances belonging to Categories 4 to 9 as set out in Annex IV, point 1.

1. if anti-condensation heaters that can be switched on and off by the end-user are provided, they shall be switched on and — if adjustable — set at maximum heating;

2. if ‘through-the-door devices’ (such as ice or chilled water/drinks dispensers) which can be switched on and off by the end-user are provided, they shall be switched on during the energy consumption measurement but not operated;

3. for multi-use appliances and compartments, the storage temperature during the measurement of energy consumption shall be the nominal temperature of the coldest compartment type as claimed for continuous normal use according to the manufacturer’s instructions;

4. the energy consumption of a refrigerating appliance shall be determined in the coldest configuration, according to the manufacturer’s instructions for continuous normal use for any ‘other compartment’ as defined in Annex IV, Table 5.

(a) ‘overall dimensions’, which are measured to the nearest millimetre;

(b) ‘overall space required in use’, which is measured to the nearest millimetre;

(c) ‘total gross volumes(s)’, which is measured to the nearest whole number of cubic decimetres or litres;

(d) ‘storage volume(s) and total storage volume(s)’, which is measured to the nearest whole number of cubic decimetres or of litres;

(e) ‘defrosting type’;

(f) ‘storage temperature’;

(g) ‘energy consumption’ which is expressed in kilowatt hours per 24 hours (kWh/24h), to three decimal places;

(h)  ►C1  ‘duration of temperature rise’ ◄ ;

(i) ‘freezing capacity’;

(j) ‘power consumption’, which is measured in Watts rounded to two decimal places; and

(k) ‘wine storage compartment humidity’, which is expressed as a percentage rounded to the nearest integer.

—  n is the number of compartments

—  Vc is the storage volume of the compartment(s)

—  Tc is the nominal temperature of the compartment(s) as set out in Table 2

— 
is the thermodynamic factor as set in Table 5

—  FFc , CC and BI are volume correction factors as set out in Table 6.

(i) for multi-use compartments, the thermodynamic factor is determined by the nominal temperature as given in Table 2 of the coldest compartment type capable of being set by the end-user and maintained continuously according to the manufacturer’s instructions;

(ii) for any two-star section (within a freezer) the thermodynamic factor is determined at Tc = – 12 °C;

(iii) for other compartments the thermodynamic factor is determined by the coldest design temperature capable of being set by the end-user and maintained continuously according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

(i)  FF is the volume correction factor for frost-free compartments.

(ii)  CC is the volume correction factor for a given climate class. If a refrigerating appliance is classified in more than one climate class, the climate class with the highest correction factor is used for the calculation of the equivalent volume.

(iii)  BI is the volume correction factor for built-in appliances.

1. The Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) is calculated and rounded to the first decimal place, as:

2. The Annual Energy Consumption (AEC ) is calculated in kWh/year and rounded to two decimal places, as:

—  E24h is the energy consumption of the household refrigerating appliance in kWh/24h and rounded to three decimal places.

3. The Standard Annual Energy Consumption (SAEC ) is calculated in kWh/year and rounded to two decimal places, as:

—  Veq is the equivalent volume of the household refrigerating appliance

—  CH is equal to 50 kWh/year for household refrigerating appliances with a chill compartment with a storage volume of at least 15 litres

— the M and N values are given in Table 7 for each household refrigerating appliance category.

(1) The Member State authorities shall verify one single unit of the model.

(2) The model shall be considered to comply with the applicable requirements if:

(a) the values given in the technical documentation pursuant to point 2 of Annex IV to Directive 2009/125/EC (declared values), and, where applicable, the values used to calculate these values, are not more favourable for the manufacturer or importer than the results of the corresponding measurements carried out pursuant to paragraph (g) thereof; and

(b) the declared values meet any requirements laid down in this Regulation, and any required product information published by the manufacturer or importer does not contain values that are more favourable for the manufacturer or importer than the declared values; and

(c) when the Member State authorities test the unit of the model, the determined values (the values of the relevant parameters as measured in testing and the values calculated from these measurements) comply with the respective verification tolerances as given in Table 1.

(3) If the results referred to in point 2(a) or (b) are not achieved, the model and all models that have been listed as equivalent household refrigerating appliance models in the manufacturer's or importer's technical documentation shall be considered not to comply with this Regulation.

(4) If the result referred to in point 2(c) is not achieved, the Member State authorities shall select three additional units of the same model for testing. As an alternative, the three additional units selected may be of one or more different models that have been listed as equivalent models in the manufacturer's or importer's technical documentation.

(5) The model shall be considered to comply with the applicable requirements if, for these three units, the arithmetical mean of the determined values complies with the respective verification tolerances given in Table 1.

(6) If the result referred to in point 5 is not achieved, the model and all models that have been listed as equivalent household refrigerating appliance models in the manufacturer's or importer's technical documentation shall be considered not to comply with this Regulation.

(7) The Member State authorities shall provide all relevant information to the authorities of the other Member States and to the Commission without delay after a decision being taken on the non-compliance of the model according to points 3 and 6.

—  EEI = 29,7 and an annual energy consumption of 115 kWh/year for a total storage volume of 300 litres in a fresh-food compartment plus a 25-litres chill compartment, and T (tropical) climate class,

— Noise: 33 dB(A).

—  EEI = 97,2 and an annual energy consumption of 245 kWh/year for a total storage volume of 28 litres in a fresh-food compartment, and N (temperate) climatic class,

— Noise ≈ 0 dB(A).

—  EEI = 28,0 and an annual energy consumption of 157 kWh/year for a total storage volume of 255 litres, of which 236 litres in a fresh-food compartment and 19 litres in a four-star freezer compartment, and T (tropical) climate class,

— Noise = 33 dB(A).

—  EEI = 29,3 and an annual energy consumption of 172 kWh/year for a total storage volume of 195 litres in a four-star freezer compartment, and T (tropical) climate class,

— Noise = 35 dB(A).

—  EEI = 27,4 and an annual energy consumption of 153 kWh/year for a total storage volume of 223 litres in a four-star freezer compartment, and T (tropical) climate class,

— Noise = 37 dB(A).