The Code of Conduct (CoC) for the interoperability of energy smart appliances (ESA), a voluntary initiative managed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, now covers additional product categories, with the objective to support a more flexible electricity system and benefit households through smarter energy use.
Home appliances which can “communicate” contribute to improve the timing and the amount of electricity demand to power grids from households. In turn, this flexibility can support the stability of power grids, much needed with increasing use of renewable energy sources which may depend on the weather conditions or day/night availability. It can also help lower households’ energy bills.
The Code of Conduct, first launched in 2024, covered
- white goods: washing machines, tumble driers, washer-driers, dishwashers;
- heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), including heat pumps and water heating.
The products added now include energy management systems, photovoltaic inverters, batteries and electric vehicle (home) chargers, with the aim to further broaden the reach of the Code of Conduct to additional appliances by mid-2027.
What the Code of Conduct is about
The Code of Conduct (CoC) for the Interoperability of energy smart appliances is a voluntary industry initiative developed under the JRC Smart Electricity Systems. It sets out common interoperability requirements so that energy smart appliances — such as heat pumps, washing machines, dishwashers — provide a consistent set of communication features for interaction with energy management systems or the grid.
The first version is currently supported by 10 manufacturers: Arçelik, Daikin, Electrolux, Miele, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, Qvantum, Vaillant Group, Vestel and Viessmann. They committed to place at least one (or more) interoperable product on the EU market. By taking this first step, these manufacturers are helping to address the main challenge in the energy smart appliances sector: ensuring full interoperability among products from different manufacturers.
Interoperability of energy smart appliances usually requires compliance with a multitude of standards, some of them still evolving. The Code of Conduct addresses this challenge by promoting semantic interoperability, which ensures that products from different manufacturers and using different standards can communicate and operate seamlessly.
While industry driven, the Code of Conduct remains consumer-oriented and inclusive with the active participation of many stakeholders, including industry and consumer associations, SMEs, academia, environmental organisations, and Member State representatives.
Implementation: the state of play
Since 2024, collaboration with manufacturers has brought about compliant models on the market. Thanks to the efforts of the signatories to the Code of Conduct, there are now close to 130 compliant models, either in production (in EU) or imported, in addition to almost 200 models still on the market, though not produced nor imported anymore.
All these models can be found through the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL), a comprehensive database set up and operated by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy. EPREL provides detailed information about the energy and environmental performance of all models of products bearing the "energy label".
As of this month, consumers, retailers and public authorities products can easily search in EPREL for products compliant with the CoC interoperability requirements thanks to a new “energy smart appliance” filter, applied once an applicable product category is selected (e.g. space heaters, dishwashers, washing machines).
Background
On 10 March 2026, the Commission published the Citizens' Energy Package (COM/2026/115), which highlights the uptake of home energy management systems and ESA as a key tool for reducing household energy bills. The CoC directly supports this objective and is expected to provide, through the new EPREL search filters, consumers a reliable way to identify products capable of delivering on that promise.
Designed in 2022 and launched in 2024, the Code of Conduct was shaped to foster market convergence towards interoperable ESA. The JRC provides technical and scientific support, contributing to EU actions which facilitate demand response and digitalisation of the energy system. The Code of Conduct is closely linked to the Commission’s Smart Energy Expert Group (SEEG) and its Data for Energy (D4E) subgroup.
Updated on 1 July 2026 to correct the list of manufacturers and include also Arçelik.
Related links
Code of Conduct for Energy Smart Appliances
Energy Smart Appliances: launch of an EU Code of Conduct for interoperability
EPREL - European Product Registry for Energy Labelling
- Publication date
- 25 March 2026 (Last updated on: 1 July 2026)
- Author
- Joint Research Centre
- JRC portfolios 2025-27
