20 July 2008
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
 
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Household Appliances (Noise Emission) Regulations

Subject area.
 
Sound power levels of household appliances.
 
Intention of legislation

Its purpose was to establish general principles on the publication of information on noise emitted by household appliances, the measuring methods for determining the noise and the arrangements for monitoring the levels of noise emitted by household appliances.

The Directive provides the procedures to ensure that information available to customers wishing to select less noisy household appliances is accurate, pertinent and comparable.
 
Coverage

The Regulations apply to household appliances supplied by way of sale, lease, hire or hire-purchase. "Appliance" means a household appliance consisting of any machine, part of a machine or installation manufactured principally for use in dwellings, including cellars, garages and other outbuildings and includes in particular household appliances for:

  • upkeep
  • cleaning purposes
  • preparation and storage of foodstuffs
  • production and distribution of heat and cold and air conditioning

Application of the Regulations by manufacturers is voluntary, and they are therefore not legally required to provide information on the airborne noise emitted by a product in the UK. However, if a manufacturer wishes to refer to the level of airborne noise emitted by an appliance in its marketing, then it must apply the provisions of the Regulations. Failure to do so could result in incorrect information on noise emissions being published, which could be subject to enforcement action.

Although application of the UK Regulations is voluntary, manufacturers should be aware other Member States might require mandatory application of the requirements in their national legislation.
 
Brief history

The Airborne noise emitted by household appliances Directive was adopted by the European Council on 1 December 1986 as Directive 86/594/EEC.

The Directive was implemented into UK law by The Household Appliances (Noise Emission) Regulations 1990 (SI 1990/161) (as amended).
 
Contact

Angela Finch, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Bay 384, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET, Tel 020 7215 1438, Fax 020 7215 2635

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