Information platform for high-quality, energy-efficient products
When buying new household appliances, consumers shouldn’t just make decisions about the investment cost; they should also consider the running costs over the appliance’s whole operating life. Especially for the latter, they can save a lot of money by choosing more energyefficient appliances. The topprodukte.at online platform is a service of klimaaktiv and was developed as a decisionmaking tool for private individuals and professional buyers to equip them with the knowledge needed to select the most energy-efficient appliances. The site lists over 3,000 products which are categorised under lighting, office, household, heating/hot water/air conditioning, mobility and TV/mobile phone.
Products are selected on the basis of manufacturers’ specifications, which in turn are based on European regulations and standards, such as, for example, the EU energy label, the Energy Star programme, the Austrian Ecolabel and test reports from the accredited testing bodies. Depending on the product category, further environmental and quality criteria, such as, e.g., noise, water consumption or durability are also considered in the assessment in addition to energy consumption and energy efficiency. The product selection process is neutral, i.e. independent from manufacturers.
Product lists and adviser
If, for example, a consumer wants to purchase a new fridge, he or she can select the “fridge” category in the “household” section on topprodukte.at, decide between built-in or stand-alone appliances and obtain a list of products as a result. Ranked from left to right, this list shows the most energy-efficient fridges available in the Austrian market, together with detailed information (manufacturer, model number, capacity, energy efficiency class, noise emissions, etc.). Armed with this information, consumers can then search for these specific appliances in the market. In addition, there is an online adviser for each product category which provides information on energy labels and efficiency ratings, tips for their correct use, definitions of terms and technical advice.
topprodukte.at is also cooperating successfully with Austrian retailers. The MediaMarkt and Expert electrical retail chains offer appliances which correspond to the topprodukte criteria. The “topprodukt.Gold” (gold) and “topprodukt.Silber” (silver) designations provide a good guide to consumers.
For professionals
The topprodukte platform is also very useful to corporate and public sector buyers. b2b.topprodukte.at lists the most efficient commercial appliances such as commercial fridges and freezers, specialist lighting, monitors, printers and hot water tanks.