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With the commercial
refrigeration
industry having
spent years of time
and effort preparing itself for the
EU’s Ecodesign directive coming into
force on 1 July, it was an unfortunate
coincidence that saw the UK vote to
exit the EU on 23 June just before the
regulations came online.
This put the whole future of the
rules into doubt in this country, and
could render redundant the expense
that manufacturers have had to chalk
up to rate all their cabinets according
to minimum energy performance
standards (MEPS). However, Jon
Usher, head of UK sales and marketing
at manufacturer, Lec Commercial
believes: “With the foodservice industry
having already worked through the
process of refrigeration testing and
evaluation in order to comply with the
EU legislation on energy labelling, we
believe there will be little immediate
impact following the Brexit vote.
“In the short to medium term,
the UK remains inside the EU until
a formal exit is negotiated. In the
long term, I would expect British
manufacturers will still be required to
comply with EU regulations if they wish
to continue to sell their product in the
EU. Therefore, we believe compliance
with the labelling regulations will be an
ongoing requirement.”
He analysed: “As a nation we’re
looking to be more responsible in terms
of sustainability. It would therefore be
a strange decision for a government to
introduce legislation that goes against
this greener drive.
“Our expectation is that UK
manufactured products will still need
to comply with EU legislation whether
we are in or out of the European Union.
With Europe being a key export area for
Lec Commercial products, we will need
WITH THE UK VOTING TO LEAVE THE EU, THIS COULD MEAN THAT THE REFRIGERATION ENERGY LABELLING REGULATIONS WHICH CAME INTO FORCE ON 1 JULY COULD BE DERAILED ALMOST BEFORE THEY HAVE GOT OFF THE GROUND.
THEREFORE CATERING INSIGHT IS ASKING LEADING PLAYERS IN THE COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION SECTOR FOR THEIR VIEWS ON THE SITUATION.
COOL RESPONSE TO BREXIT
1
Lec Commercial
believes there will
be little impact
to refrigeration
regulations
following Brexit.
32
RE FRIGE RATION / REGULATIONS
CATERING INSIGHT / AUGUST 2016 / www.cateringinsight.com32
2
Liebherr feels
energy labelling
will be an
important factor
in commercial
refrigeration
purchasing
decisions.
to ensure our equipment adheres to
any regulation and legislation in order
to offer a competitive portfolio and
maintain our share in this key market.”
Lec wanted even more time to
prepare for the regulations than the
refrigeration sector was given, as:
“One of the biggest challenges we
faced throughout the industry was
how late the standards were finalised,”
according to Usher. “With the potential
for changes and amendments to
the technical specifications, it was
a challenge to know what the final
testing methodology would involve,
and thus how equipment would rate
against the standards. Obviously the
broader the range of refrigeration
equipment the manufacturer has, the
more time and cost is involved.”
Over at Prodis, national accounts
manager Darren Mairs also believes
that there will be no change in the
energy efficiency labelling regulations
for commercial refrigeration. Moving
forward he predicted: “We would like
to think that the energy efficiency
regulations already set in place will not
only continue but be will expanded
on to include display refrigeration,
blast chillers, chest freezers and open
style cabinets. The Ecodesign directive
creates a level playing field for all
manufacturers and makes decision-
making for the end user a lot simpler.”
However, he cautioned: “If cheaper
and less efficient units become
available because the Ecodesign
directive is withdrawn when we leave
the EU, there will always be end users
that opt for these cabinets. Fortunately,
there are many dealers and end users
that value energy efficiency and
have the vision to see the energy and
therefore monetary savings the higher
initial investment will give.”
Prodis itself has invested a lot of
time and effort into preparing for the
regulations. “We have been researching
and developing our new refrigeration
line up for some time to ensure the
highest possible energy efficiency
whilst retaining the value and reliability
our cabinets are renowned for,” said
Mairs. “At Prodis we saw the Ecodesign
Directive as a way to not only make
our cabinets more energy efficient
and eco-friendly but also to redesign
and relaunch our entire storage
refrigeration range. This means we
are now able to supply a more energy
efficient range of refrigeration which
will benefit both the end user and
ultimately the environment.”
Elsewhere, Liebherr-Great Britain’s
national sales manager Stephen Ongley
also believes the Brexit vote will
have little impact on the regulations.
“However, energy labelling will be an
important factor in most decisions
made to purchase commercial
refrigeration,” he commented. “I believe
and hope that the EU standards will
continue to apply to commercial
refrigeration cabinets sold in the UK,
and I am hoping that dealers will take
the long term view and be guided by
these rules.”
He reported that the Liebherr group
of companies has committed a large
amount of time and resources towards
these standards as “sustaining the
environment remains at the core of our
global business”.
At refrigerated drawer manufacturer
Adande, it has been fully involved in
development of the test standard for
the last few years. Plus it has even gone
as far as using its own new state of the
art test rooms (see page 26 for more
information on them) and independent
test centres to ensure it had met all
the testing, labelling and information
requirements by the deadline.
Executive chairman Nigel Bell
reported: “We have also developed a
new A+ labelled fridge unit to provide a
product to those customers for whom
energy efficiency is at the top of their
“As a nation we’re looking to be more responsible in terms of sustainability. It would therefore be a strange decision for a government to introduce legislation that goes against this greener drive.”
2
REGULATIONS / RE FRIGE RATION
www.cateringinsight.com / AUGUST 2016 / CATERING INSIGHT 33
3
Adande has
created a new A+
labelled fridge unit.
4
Pentland
Wholesale
supplies the
Blizzard brand
of refrigeration.
become excluded from the market and
average energy use (and related carbon
emissions) in the EU goes down.
Th at approach has been successfully
applied to both domestic and industrial
equipment already.
“Th ere is no reason to see that
approach changing for the EU.
Countries selling into the EU that are
not part of the EU, examples being
Norway and Switzerland, have to follow
EU regulations for products sold into
the EU and they apply the same at
home. It makes commercial, social
and political sense. Th e same will be
true for UK manufacturers inside and
outside the UK. Th e UK has the option
to move ahead of the EU in terms of
allowable thresholds should it wish to
use its future independence to take a
lead in environmental matters.”
Hoshizaki Gram is one company
that considers itself at the forefront of
green technology in the commercial
refrigeration industry. Th erefore UK
MD Glenn Roberts commented: “We
were well placed to embrace the new
EU Ecodesign Directive. But with clear
consequences set out by the directive
for manufacturers who didn’t meet
the MEPS, Hoshizaki Gram invested
heavily in ensuring it brought to market
only the very best energy effi ciency
credentials; by investing in the very
best product design and extending and
3
wish list. Th e Adande “hold the cold”
technology is fundamentally diff erent
and inherently energy effi cient. We
did not to change our technology to
meet the requirements; we just did all
the testing and the work on marketing
materials and websites. Th is did involve
time and money.”
Bell also cannot foresee the
regulations changing because of
Brexit. “At this time these regulations
will apply in the UK and we would be
surprised and disappointed if future
UK governments take the opportunity
of greater freedom of action to drop
our standards in this area. As a result
we expect to see fewer imports from
outside the EU.”
He further detailed: “Th e intent
of the energy regulations is that
thresholds get more severe with time,
the less energy effi cient products
While Pentland Wholesale doesn’t manufacture the refrigeration brands it supplies, nevertheless it has been keeping abreast of energy labelling developments. “We have been in constant meetings and communication with our manufacturers for the last 2 years regarding the regulations,” said Pentland’s operations director, Dean Simpson. “Obviously it’s important for a company with our values to be totally compliant.”
He doesn’t expect many changes to the regulations, going forwards. “Currently we have no idea how long the negotiations will take for the UK to leave the EU so as it stands the regulations still apply. UK businesses will still import from and export to the EU,” he believes. “For products imported into the UK from outside of the EU, the labelling gives the customer a clear indication of performance so it makes sense for labelling to remain for comparison purposes.
“There is no point changing the regulation to a unique British standard. It would make sense for the UK to adopt the EU legislation to give us parity with cabinets being manufactured and imported globally into the EU.”
LABEL WATCHER“There are many dealers and end users that value energy
4
34
RE FRIGE RATION / REGULATIONS
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“We would be surprised and disappointed if future UK governments take the opportunity of greater freedom of action to drop our standards.”
developing our own test chamber.”
However, he warned: “Th e decision
to leave the EU brings with it a lot of
uncertainty for the industry, at least in
the short term, and perhaps an amount
of frustration from manufacturers
who have worked hard to improve
the performance of their refrigeration
cabinets to meet the new MEPS.
“Having said that, the decision
is unlikely to have an immediate or
drastic impact on the need to meet
the new standards. Most, if not all,
manufacturers have put into motion
the changes that are required to meet
the regulations. It is not a process
that can happen overnight so many
manufacturers have been working
towards 1 July for months and even
years. It is unlikely to be something that
manufacturers just turn their back on.
“Ultimately, as we move forward,
the EU Ecodesign Directive should
be viewed as a positive step as the
industry continues to reduce its overall
carbon footprint. Th e directive built
in scope for improvements in the
energy effi ciency of refrigerators with
its double labelling system and this
refl ects the needs of the industry, as we
all work towards a more sustainable
future for the sector.”
Nevertheless he conceded: “It is
always possible that dealers and
purchasers will opt for a unit which
has an initial cheaper purchase
price. However these are becoming
a minority as more and more buyers
are considering the lifetime running
cost over the initial purchase price.
With a lot of work having already been
done to meet MEPS, the manufacture
of a lot of the models that don’t meet
the minimum standards has ceased,
meaning that it won’t be possible for
buyers to opt for a unit that doesn’t
have at least a G rating.”
According to Chris Playford,
marketing and development director at
Foster Refrigerator: “Obviously it is very
early days in the Brexit process, not just
for our sector, but for the entire country.
It is just unfortunate that the timing of
the referendum coincided with these
new regulations for our sector.
“However, we do not anticipate any
immediate changes to our business
or the way we operate. It is important
that we let things settle down in the
short term, and be ready to react
should anything change which would
have an impact. Trade between the UK
and EU is substantial, both generally
and for the catering equipment sector,
so trading in a uniform regulatory
environment will be highly desirable
for all producers and importers.”
He predicted: “Th e regulatory
environment is expected to continue
unchanged for at least the period of the
negotiations, so of course we will be
following its progress closely throughout.
“We do not see any signifi cant
changes to our business in the short to
medium term. As with everyone else,
the next 2 years will determine the
nature of trading relationships with
the EU and the rest of the world so it
will be a case of waiting to see how this
impacts UK manufacturing.
“Improving energy effi ciency whilst
meeting the performance needs of
our customers in delivering safe food
storage is something that is at the
core of all our product development,
and this will continue whether we are
subject to EU regulations or not.”
Over at Iglu, UK general manager,
Danny McLaughlin, also doesn’t think
Brexit will have a major impact on the
regulations. “By having this framework
being put forward by various
manufacturers it will ultimately remove
the irresponsible manufactures from
the marketplace,” he said. “Iglu as a
responsible and high end manufacturer
welcomes and embraces these
regulations, as this can only ultimately
be for the greater good of the industry.”
He believes UK refrigeration
manufacturers will want to continue to
meet the same rules even after the UK
exits the EU. “I am positive they are just
as keen and committed to ensuring they
off er the best product across various
testing criteria. Th e UK marketplace
requires and demands high quality
commercial refrigeration products.”
McLaughlin detailed: “Iglu has
ploughed many man hours and cost
into R&D to meet these standards. Th is
has been ongoing for a considerable
length of time as we off er a huge range
of commercial BOH/FOH products
compared to many other manufacturers.”
However he conceded: “Over the
last few years we all have seen cheaper
imports enter into the UK market
through various UK companies, but the
customer has ultimately had the choice if
they wish to procure this type of product.
“If a UK dealer wanted to continue
to bring in non-EU products, these
would need to go through the same
5
Foster says that
the industry has
to wait to see how
Brexit impacts UK
manufacturing.
5
REGULATIONS / RE FRIGE RATION
www.cateringinsight.com / AUGUST 2016 / CATERING INSIGHT 35
process and legislation as all the other
manufacturers within the European
market. The non-EU product has
to comply with the directive we are
working to; you cannot have one rule
for EU manufacturers and another for
non-EU manufacturers.”
At fellow manufacturer, Husky
Commercial, it started to prepare for
the legislation 2 years in advance of the
deadline. “We estimate that in each
of the last 2 years we spent 3% to 4%
of our revenues specifically on getting
ready for the new standards,” said CEO
Serge Kremer.
He doesn’t expect the rules to
change in the UK and counselled:
“This means that there will be little
room for manoeuvre for dealers that
want to legally bring in cheaper, less
efficient and less safe products. Serious
manufacturers (whether based in the
UK or outside) will want to comply
with stringent specifications, even
if not all of it will be legally required
in the UK. There will always be some
‘pirates’ who will try to make a quick
profit but that will be a small and
shrinking part of the market.”
Going forward, he commented
that since the referendum, the UK
government has stated that energy
efficiency will remain a major policy
objective, with a 57% carbon reduction
by 2030 “even if they are unsure how to
achieve it”.
He added: “I’d expect the UK
would adopt all the EU regulations en
masse and re-process them in some
sort of prioritised order. All of the
labels/MEPS, existing ones at least,
would stay in force in the UK post-
exit, in order to bolster UK access
to the single market. To scrap these
regulations could easily be portrayed
as the government pulling the rug
from under the UK appliance industry
– I cannot see that being palatable.”
Elsewhere, Williams Refrigeration’s
sales and marketing director, Malcolm
Harling, also feels there will be little
impact on the regulations following
the Brexit vote. “As the majority of
refrigeration manufacturers sell their
products all over Europe there needs
to be a single set of rules for all to abide
by,” he said.
“All refrigeration cabinets sold in the
EU have to comply with the new energy
efficiency labelling regulations whether
they are made inside or outside the EU.
Consumers have a choice as to whether
they pay for efficiency, performance
and reliability or a cheaper price for a
more short-term approach.”
However, he acknowledged:
“In recent years there has been an
increase in the number of budget-
priced imported refrigeration in the
market – but according to many
customers these products have not been
performing as they should, resulting in
operators turning to quality brands for
replacements, especially in hot weather.
“Some of these imported products
are semi-domestic models that are
“The decision to leave the EU brings with it a lot of uncertainty for the industry, at least in the short term, and perhaps an amount of frustration from manufacturers who have worked hard to improve the performance of their refrigeration cabinets to meet the new MEPS.”
CESA DOUBTS BREXIT IMPACTAccording to Simon Frost, chair of
CESA, the Brexit vote will have little
impact initially on EU commercial
refrigerator energy efficiency
labelling regulations. “We are still
part of the European Union for at
least the next 2 years and will need
to abide by the regulations,” he said.
“UK manufacturers will still be
exporting to the EU, so they will
have to manufacture products to EU
regulation specifications. The UK is
still committed to tackling climate
change under the Kyoto Protocol,
and reducing its carbon footprint, so
it is likely that our government would
either use the EU regulations or
come up with similar ones, to ensure
that the industry is encouraged
to use the most energy-efficient
products – and that the most
energy-hungry models are banned.”
However, he warned: “Brexit
will mean we will no longer have
a national voice at the table when
it comes to establishing the
regulations, which will certainly
put UK manufacturers at a
disadvantage. Fortunately, as a
member of its European federation
(EFCEM) CESA has full access to the
information and representation on
behalf of the industry.”
Currently, CESA has three
staff involved in the policy and
standards-making activity in
Europe as part of the service that it
provides for members.
6
Iglu thinks the
Ecodesign
directive will
remove less
responsible
manufactures
from the
marketplace.6
36
RE FRIGE RATION / REGULATIONS
CATERING INSIGHT / AUGUST 2016 / www.cateringinsight.com
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“To scrap these regulations could easily be portrayed as the government pulling the rug from under the UK appliance industry – I cannot see that being palatable.”
“Th e UK no longer has a say in shaping
future iterations of the regulation –
which could put UK manufacturers at
a disadvantage.”
He believes: “We will still need to
comply with the regulation to sell our
products into the EU market. It is also
good that we have a regulation acting
as a level playing fi eld for customers to
reliably compare products. It certainly
wouldn’t make sense to reinvent the
wheel and start over with a new UK
version of the legislation.”
But he did point out: “EN16825
still has a “PR” in front if it – meaning
preliminary. Although we had to
comply by 1 July, the test standard
still isn’t fi nalised! We’ve invested in
new test chambers, product research/
development and external testing.
Th is is costing an average £2,000 per
product and we have hundreds of
products in our range.
“Our engineers have done a great job
but with hundreds of product derivatives,
and very limited time, but we will be
continually tweaking and re-testing our
products in a quest to seek out more
energy effi ciencies in the future.”
7
Precision
predicted Brexit
will mean the UK
no longer has a
say in shaping
future iterations of
the regulation.
7
being mis-sold, but many are allegedly
commercial models that are simply not
up to the job. If the equipment can’t
maintain temperatures, they fail HACCP
guidelines or simply break down.
“In these cases, buying cheap
refrigeration is actually more costly as
it causes the operators loss of revenue
and loss of product. It pays to buy
quality, even in the short term, because
that way you know your products
are safe and you are complying with
HACCP guidelines and the law.”
For Nick Williams, MD of Precision
Refrigeration, Brexit may mean that:
REGULATIONS / RE FRIGE RATION
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