When something breaks down, like a washing machine or television, you might find yourself in a showroom or flicking through 12 browser tabs, trying to choose between “eco-friendly” or “green” replacements. They look and cost the same, yet we currently have no way of knowing which claim, if any, is true.

The European Commission has found that more than half of green claims are vague, misleading or unfounded, and four in ten come with no supporting evidence at all. With over 230 sustainability and 100 green energy labels competing for our attention across the EU, no wonder Greenwashing has left consumers and researchers like me trusting none of them.

But the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) is a digital database that provides the hard evidence needed to cut through the noise.

Since 2019, any appliance requiring an EU energy label – washing machines, fridges, dishwashers, even tyres – must have its performance data logged in a public database before it can be sold. Over 2 million products are now registered.

Here’s how to tap into that database the next time you’re in that showroom.

Scan the QR code on the energy label or search for the specific appliance model on the EPREL website. In Great Britain, post-Brexit labels carry their own QR code with the UK flag, but most........

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