In Austria it is mandatory for electricity suppliers to fully declare the different percentages of primary energy from which the supplied electricity has been produced. Aim of the electricity label is that all end consumers in Austria shall see on their annual energy bill from which primary energy source "their" electricity has been generated.

For which product/service is the label used?

The label was initially introduced in Upper Austria and was mandatory for every electricity supplier delivering electricity to Upper Austria. Since 2003 it is applied Austrian-wide.

Which criteria are used ?

Every electricity supplier has to fully declare the different percentages of primary energy from which the supplied electricity has been produced: "eco-energy" (= all renewables except hydro), hydro power, fossil fuels, nuclear energy. There is only one electricity mix for end consumers per supplier allowed. If the supplier is not able to provide the information, the UCTE electricity mix (The Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity) will be applied which includes 37% nuclear energy (which is not very popular in Austria). Are there any control mechanisms on the market (testing, control, evaluation)? Electricity suppliers have to add a documentation including the basis for the declaration. This documentation has to verified by a authorised body (expert witness, auditor). The results of this control has to be published together with the annual business reporting of the supplier.

How relevant is the label on the market?

The label is fairly new on the market and obviously therefore not very well known. According to an opinion poll in Upper Austria 16 % of the citizens know the label and also the meaning of it. Due to the legal obligation the declaration is a relevant market tool and will become more important in the coming years.