EU to require air con installers to tell buyers how energy efficient their systems are

By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS, June 24 (Reuters) - Installers of air conditioning units will be obliged to tell customers how energy efficient these systems are, under a European Union law proposed on Wednesday, in an attempt to help people manage their energy bills.

Europe is sweltering in a record-breaking heatwave this week, part of a broader trend of hotter summers and more severe heatwaves in the continent, which has made many Europeans consider installing air conditioning for the first time.

The European Commission proposed rules that would require companies installing air con units, boilers and kitchen appliances in the EU to show customers the energy performance label of their products when sending a quote for an installation.

"If you, for instance, go home and call an installer to try to have an air conditioner fitted in your flat this afternoon, because you can't stand the heat, you're quite unlikely to get the label with the offers from the installers," a Commission official said. "We want to change that."

Many customers buy these appliances directly from a local installer, which means the buyer may not view the product in a physical shop first or be able to check its specifications online.

Such purchases are also often done in a rush, if an existing boiler breaks, for example, meaning customers lack time to research the new product to choose a more energy-efficient system to try to limit their energy bill.

EU countries and lawmakers must now negotiate the final rules, a process that typically takes around a year.

Air conditioning is historically less commonplace in Europe than in regions such as North America, but global warming is pushing some people to consider the investment or use existing systems more frequently. Stores in France and Spain have been reporting skyrocketing sales of air conditioning units this week.

Yandri, a ​28-year-old plumber in the Spanish capital, told Reuters on Monday that he sleeps with air conditioning running through the night. "You will see the bill. It is going to be big," he said.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; additional reporting by Guillermo Martinez in Madrid; editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)