How the European energy label applies to office photocopiers
The familiar A-to-G energy label that appears on appliances and electronics does not directly apply to office photocopiers — but several related EU energy efficiency schemes do. Here is what each scheme covers and how Spanish offices use them in procurement.
The label clarification
The headline EU Energy Label (the A-to-G coloured scale familiar from refrigerators, dishwashers, and other appliances) covers specific product categories defined by EU Regulation 2017/1369 and subsidiary regulations. Office photocopiers and MFPs are not currently within the scope of the EU Energy Label A-to-G scale.
Office equipment energy efficiency is covered by several other EU and international schemes that do apply — Energy Star, EU Ecolabel, EPEAT, and related certifications. This article explains how these schemes work for photocopiers and how Spanish buyers should use them.
The schemes that do apply to photocopiers
Energy Star (international)
The Energy Star program covers office imaging equipment under Energy Star Office Equipment criteria. Office MFPs meeting the criteria carry the Energy Star logo. The program sets specific limits on Typical Electricity Consumption (TEC) measured in kWh per week by device size category.
EU Ecolabel
The EU Ecolabel (the flower mark) covers office equipment including imaging devices under specific product group criteria. The Ecolabel sets stricter requirements than Energy Star on materials, recyclability, and lifecycle impact in addition to energy use.
EPEAT
EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) rates imaging equipment on environmental criteria including energy efficiency, materials, design for end-of-life, and packaging. Devices receive Bronze, Silver, or Gold ratings. Common in public sector procurement criteria.
Ecodesign Directive requirements
EU Regulation 2019/2021 and related ecodesign instruments set mandatory minimum energy efficiency requirements for various product categories. While not strictly a label, these regulations establish floor requirements all devices placed on the EU market must meet.
How Energy Star applies to office MFPs in practice
Energy Star is the most commonly visible scheme on office MFPs. The criteria establish TEC limits varying by device size and capability — a 30 ppm A4 colour MFP has a different TEC ceiling than a 50 ppm A3 colour MFP. Devices meeting the ceiling display the Energy Star logo on packaging, specifications, and the device itself. Devices not meeting the criteria do not display the logo.
Energy Star certification is now effectively table-stakes for office MFPs sold in Spain. The major manufacturers all certify their products to Energy Star current criteria. The procurement question is rarely "is this device Energy Star certified" (almost all are) but rather "where does this device sit within the Energy Star band" — devices well below the TEC ceiling are more energy efficient than devices barely meeting it.
How EU Ecolabel applies to office MFPs
The EU Ecolabel is more selective than Energy Star and currently certifies a smaller subset of office MFPs. The Ecolabel criteria cover not just energy use but also materials selection (recycled content, hazardous substance limits), recyclability (design for disassembly, take-back programs), and packaging (recyclability, weight optimisation). Devices meeting the full criteria display the Ecolabel flower mark.
For Spanish public sector procurement and sustainability-conscious private sector buyers, the EU Ecolabel certification is a meaningful procurement differentiator. The European Public Procurement Directive supports using ecolabel criteria in tender evaluation, and Spanish public bodies increasingly include Ecolabel scoring in their tender evaluation criteria.
The Ecodesign Directive floor
The EU Ecodesign Directive establishes mandatory minimum requirements that all imaging equipment placed on the EU market must meet. The current requirements include automatic power management (default sleep mode timing), maximum power consumption in standby, and material content limits. Devices not meeting these requirements cannot legally be sold in the EU.
The Ecodesign floor has tightened over the years, driving baseline energy efficiency improvements across all office MFPs sold in Europe. The floor catches up with mid-tier energy performance over time, ensuring that the minimum acceptable energy profile keeps improving.
Practical interpretation in Spanish procurement
For Spanish offices evaluating procurement options, a practical sustainability tier emerges from the certifications. Top tier devices carry Energy Star, EU Ecolabel, and EPEAT Gold simultaneously. Strong tier devices carry Energy Star and EPEAT Silver. Acceptable tier devices carry Energy Star only. Below-acceptable devices carry none of the major certifications — these should generally be excluded from serious procurement consideration in 2026.
How the certifications affect total cost of ownership
Energy Star certified devices in active office use typically consume 15-35% less electricity than non-certified equivalents. For a heavily-used office MFP running 8-10 hours per day, the annual electricity cost difference is €40-80 — modest but meaningful over a 5-year contract period. EU Ecolabel certified devices add further marginal energy efficiency plus the materials and recyclability benefits that produce harder-to-quantify lifecycle improvements.
The certifications also signal manufacturer commitment to environmental performance that often correlates with broader product quality. Devices designed to meet Ecolabel criteria typically receive more design attention to component longevity and serviceability than devices designed to minimum specifications.
The procurement specification approach
For Spanish offices structuring procurement specifications, the practical approach: require Energy Star certification as a minimum (effectively table-stakes), score EU Ecolabel certification as a positive differentiator, evaluate EPEAT level as a tie-breaker between otherwise comparable options, and include the certifications as ongoing requirements rather than point-in-time — devices added to fleets over the contract period should meet the same certification standards as initial deployment.
What changes in 2027-2030
The EU continues tightening the regulatory environment around office equipment. Through the late 2020s expect: stricter Ecodesign requirements catching up with current best-in-class performance, expanded EU Ecolabel scope and criteria, mandatory Digital Product Passport for office equipment integrating ecolabel information, and stronger right-to-repair requirements supporting device longevity. Spanish offices procuring multi-year contracts should anticipate that current best-in-class certification will become baseline floor by 2028-2030.