User experience supports energy-conscious purchasing decisions

For over 25 years, the EU energy label has helped consumers to choose energy-efficient products. Within the project "Label 2020", the EU energy label was improved and adapted to customer-centric needs. The newly developed web application of the "Label2020" offers users the possibility to compare energy-efficient appliances (e.g. washing machines, lighting products, etc.) and thus supports energy-conscious purchasing decisions.

The Center for Technology Experience of the AIT was commissioned by Fonda to evaluate the online efficiency check of the "Label2020" with regard to the perceived user experience. The aim of the evaluation was to analyse user experience (UX) potentials in the use of the newly developed web application and to identify concrete suggestions. For this purpose, a UX test was conducted in the Center's Technology Experience Lab as well as online remote UX tests with participants from Spain and Denmark. The participants were asked to act out concrete tasks and to fill in a questionnaire after each task. The remote UX test was completed with a guided online interview to complement and deepen the insights. Based on these experience insights, concrete solutions were developed to meet the needs of the consumers.

Background to the "Label2020" project

The Label 2020 project is organised to help smooth the market transition towards the new energy labels. The Label 2020 project started in June 2019 and will last until January 2023. It is coordinated by the Austrian Energy Agency and takes place in the UK and 15 European Union member states. Internal Commission estimations value the total annual final energy savings of these new labels by 2030 at 38 TWh/year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of Hungary. A return to the well-known and effective energy labelling scale A to G for energy efficient products, including a process for rescaling the existing labels, e.g. removal of the A+ to A+++ classes. A digital database for new energy efficient products, so that all new products placed on the EU market are registered on an online database, allowing greater transparency and easier market surveillance by national authorities.

More about Label2020

AIT Contact: Anke Schneider

Mehr über Label2020

AIT Kontakt: Anke Schneider