In August 2007 the Energy Using Products (EuP) Directive was put forward by the government. The directive provides an initial indication on the EcoDesign requirements for energy using systems and products. This information is very important for any company manufacturing or distributing heating equipment and central heating components in the UK, as it will become a pre-requisite for obtaining and retaining the CE mark. Without the CE mark it would be practically impossible to sell the products in the EU market.



At the time of writing this article the publically available information on the directive is incomplete, making it difficult to gauge the impact it will have on manufacturers of boilers and heating equipment based in the UK. As such, the local manufacturers are calling the government to make more information public in order to allow them to put the right procedures in place and limit any disruption to manufacturing and distribution further down the supply chain.

Evaluating currently available information regarding the Energy Using Products Directive shows that there are new guidelines regarding labelling and packaging of the heating components. An important new point in the new directive is that the heating components will have to be uniquely and separately labelled and packaged. Each boiler, central heating controller or Thermostatic Radiator Valve will have to be separately packaged and labelled in order to meet the new requirement. This requirement is thus expected to put a burden on small manufacturers and distributors within the plumbing and heating sector.

The new requirement will put pressure on small manufacturers and merchants. As a result it is likely that partnerships will form among manufacturers and among merchants and distributors. Under the new regime a manufacturer of boilers may find it beneficial to partner up with a manufacturer of other central heating equipment.

Professionals within the heating components manufacturing industry highlight their concerns that as things stand, there is little time to prepare for the new requirements, especially since there is still limited information about the new directive. There are also calls to clarify the exact stage within the supply chain at which the new labelling will be required.

Currently it is believed that the directive will calculate the heating system's performance based on a ?full system? approach, rather than based on the original heat source, as is the case now. The system's calculated energy efficiency will then be rated and labelled on each component using a rating scale of A to G. Simultaneously, a new standard for minimum acceptable performance for water and space heating will come into effect. Under the new standard any product scoring below band D will not be accepted as of January 2011. Most components below band A will not be accepted from 2013 when the legislation becomes mandatory.

Although there are serious concerns about the directive, it is fair to say that many of them result from the fact that little information has been made public. Other than that the directive seems to have a few important benefits for all stakeholders, including manufacturers, distributors and end customers. However, it is important to allow all players a chance to prepare for the new requirement to ensure full buy in and a smooth roll out.