What the regulation covers
Commission Regulation (EU) 666/2013 implements the Ecodesign Directive for vacuum cleaners. It applies to mains-operated household vacuum cleaners placed on the EU market. Several groups of products are outside it: battery-operated machines, robot vacuum cleaners, wet and dry vacuum cleaners (those designed to collect liquids), industrial and commercial machines, and floor polishers. For an importer, the first step is therefore to decide whether the product is in scope, and this depends on how the machine is powered and what it is sold for. A cordless stick is out of scope for 666/2013 even though it must meet other rules, such as battery safety and CE marking. A corded household canister or upright is in scope.
Scope is one of the most common sources of confusion in listings: a machine sold as a household vacuum with a mains cable cannot avoid the regulation by being described as multi-purpose, and a commercial machine cannot be sold to households under a commercial label. The classification follows intended use, not the name on the box.
The limits that matter
| Requirement | Limit | How it is shown |
|---|---|---|
| Rated input power | Cap of 900 W | Rating plate and technical file |
| Annual energy consumption | 43 kWh per year or less | Calculated from measured energy use under the harmonised method |
| Dust pick-up, carpet | At least 0.75 | Measured pick-up ratio on the standard carpet |
| Dust pick-up, hard floor | At least 0.98 | Measured pick-up ratio on a hard floor with crevice |
| Motor life | At least 500 hours | Endurance test of the motor in operating conditions |
Beyond these, the regulation requires product information for users, including figures such as annual energy consumption, dust pick-up and sound power level, supplied in the instructions and on free-access websites for the model. The details of the information list and the harmonised test methods are set out in the regulation and its guidance; confirm the current text with the notified body or test laboratory for each program.
What happened to the energy label
Alongside 666/2013 there was a delegated regulation, (EU) 665/2013, which required an energy label for vacuum cleaners. In 2018 the EU General Court annulled that labelling regulation after a legal challenge. As a result the energy label is no longer required on vacuum cleaners sold in the EU. The ecodesign requirements in 666/2013 remained in force. The practical consequence: do not include an energy class on a listing or box for the EU market on the strength of the old scheme, and treat older supplier documents that show an A-G class as obsolete. Product information under 666/2013 still has to be provided.
Why a 900 W cap is not just about wattage
The cap on input power forces efficiency. With a ceiling in watts, the way to improve cleaning is to move more air per watt, which pushes design toward better impellers, lower-loss airways and sometimes brushless motors in corded products. This is the practical lesson of the regulation and the reason the EU model range looks different from some other markets. It is discussed in more depth in vacuum watts vs suction. The pick-up values add a floor on real cleaning, so that a low-wattage machine cannot pass by simply being weak. And the motor life requirement affects the choice of motor type, bearings and brush material, as described in brushless vs brushed vacuum motors.
What the numbers mean in use
A figure of 43 kWh per year is an average over a defined usage pattern, not a bill. It is derived from the energy measured while cleaning test floors, scaled to a standard number of cleaning occasions per year, so it is comparable between models but not a forecast of a particular household's consumption. For scale: at 900 W, one hour of continuous running uses 0.9 kWh, so the annual figure corresponds to a modest amount of running time at full input. The takeaway for a buyer is practical. Running cost of a corded vacuum is small compared with the purchase price, so the regulation is better understood as a design discipline that pushes efficiency than as a cost-saving claim to put on the box. Claims about savings should be avoided unless they are backed by the test method and stated in the same terms as the regulation.
Carrying the rules into a program
- Confirm scope at the start: mains household vacuum, or one of the exempt categories.
- Write the limits into the specification: input power at or below 900 W, annual energy consumption at or below 43 kWh, pick-up 0.75 on carpet and 0.98 on hard floor, motor life at least 500 hours.
- Name the test methods in the order. The performance methods of the IEC 62885 series and the noise method in IEC 60704-2-1 are the public reference points; see vacuum test standards.
- Require a type test report per model from a recognised laboratory, with the configuration tested (nozzle, filter, bag) stated.
- Plan the technical file and the user information: the product data to appear in the manual and on the web page.
- Control changes: a change of motor, nozzle, filter or bag can alter the result, so a design change after testing needs a decision on retest.
Markets outside the EU
Other markets have their own rules, and the EU limits are not automatically valid elsewhere. North America relies on UL 1017 for safety and does not have an equivalent cap on corded vacuum wattage in the same form, which is why uprights there commonly draw more power. If a program covers several regions, the practical way is to engineer the EU-bound variant to the 666/2013 limits and label it as such, while keeping other variants for markets where those limits do not apply. Doing so adds a variant to the range, so it should be planned together with packaging, manuals and spare parts. The canister and upright line pages show typical options.
For timing, type tests and technical files add weeks before the first order is released; reference ranges are on MOQ and lead time. The desk collects the partner plant's reports and verifies the documents per project, confirmed in writing. To discuss a corded program for the EU, use the quote form.