Energy labels for light sources: reading the A to G scale
Since September 2021, bulbs and LED light sources in the EU carry a rescaled energy label from A to G. What the classes mean, why a good LED may sit in class E, and where the QR code leads.
Buy a bulb in the European Union and you will find a small label on the box with a scale from A to G. It looks familiar from fridges and washing machines, and like those labels, it was reset a few years ago. Since 1 September 2021, light sources carry a rescaled label without the old A+ and A++ classes, and many very good LED bulbs now sit somewhere in the middle of the scale.
That surprises many people, but it is deliberate. This guide explains what the label shows, how the classes are calculated, and why efficiency is only one of the things that make good light.
Why the label was rescaled
Under the previous label, LED technology improved so quickly that most products crowded into the top classes. When nearly everything is some kind of A, a label no longer helps you choose. The EU therefore introduced a new, stricter scale from A to G for light sources, set out in Regulation (EU) 2019/2015.
The new scale was designed with room to grow. When it was introduced, the top classes were expected to stay almost empty, leaving space for more efficient products in the years ahead. A bulb that used to be A++ may now be D, E or F without having changed at all.
What the label shows
- The energy efficiency class, from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient).
- The energy consumption in kilowatt hours per 1,000 hours of use, written kWh/1000h. A bulb that draws 7 watts shows 7 kWh per 1,000 hours.
- A QR code that links to the product’s entry in , the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling.
- The supplier and the model identifier, so you can find the exact product again.
Kilowatt hours are the unit on your electricity bill, so the figure makes running costs easy to compare: a light source showing 5 kWh/1000h uses half the electricity of one showing 10 for the same hours of use.
How the classes are calculated
The class depends on : how much light a source produces for each watt of electricity, measured in lumens per watt (lm/W). A is the unit for the total amount of visible light a source gives off; a watt measures the electrical power it draws. The calculation includes a small correction factor depending on whether the light is directional, like a spotlight, and whether it runs directly on mains power.
| Class | Efficacy in lumens per watt | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| A | 210 or more | Exceptionally efficient, still rare |
| B | 185 to 210 | Very efficient LED sources |
| C | 160 to 185 | Highly efficient LED bulbs and filaments |
| D | 135 to 160 | Good, efficient LEDs |
| E | 110 to 135 | Many common LED bulbs |
| F | 85 to 110 | Less efficient LEDs, often small or decorative shapes |
| G | Below 85 | Halogen and other inefficient sources |
Total mains efficacy as defined in Regulation (EU) 2019/2015, simplified. Example: a standard bulb giving 806 lumens from 6 watts reaches about 134 lm/W, the top of class E.
This is why a good LED in class E is nothing to worry about. It may use around a tenth of the electricity of the incandescent bulb it replaces while giving the same amount of light. The scale is strict by design, not because LEDs are wasteful.
The QR code and EPREL
Scan the QR code with a phone and it opens the product’s entry in EPREL, the EU’s database for energy labels. Here you find far more than the label shows, including the luminous flux in lumens, the colour temperature, the , the cap or socket type and declared lifetime figures. Suppliers have to register their products before selling them in the EU, so the entry is also a quick check that a product is what it claims to be.
Lamps themselves no longer carry an energy label of their own; the separate label for luminaires was discontinued at the end of 2019. The class refers to the light source, and for a designer lamp with integrated LEDs, the information supplied with the lamp states the class of the light source inside.
Lumen, watt and lifetime figures
On the packaging and in EPREL, three numbers matter most. Lumens tell you how bright the source is. Watts tell you how much power it draws. Lifetime, given in hours, describes how long the light source is expected to last before its light output has fallen to a defined level.
Ratings of 15,000 to 25,000 hours are common for LED bulbs, which at three hours a day means well over a decade. Real lifetime depends on conditions: heat shortens the life of LEDs and their electronics, so a bulb enclosed in a small, closed glass shade will age faster than one in an open, well ventilated lamp.
Efficient and beautiful light
The label measures efficiency, not quality. A high class does not guarantee pleasant light, and the most efficient source is not always the right one for a designer lamp. Before you buy, check:
- Colour temperature, measured in Kelvin: around 2,700 K gives warm, homely light in living spaces.
- Colour rendering (CRI or Ra), which describes how naturally colours appear: 90 or above makes skin, wood, textiles and food look right.
- Dimmability, if the lamp is on a dimmer, and compatibility with that dimmer.
- Shape and size, so the bulb fits the shade and keeps the lamp’s intended glow.
- Flicker: good light sources stay steady, even when dimmed.
Very high efficiency can come at the cost of colour quality, because rich, full colour rendering costs a little light output. For a reading lamp or a dining pendant, a slightly less efficient bulb with better colour rendering is often the better choice, and the difference in electricity use is small.
The label measures efficiency, not quality: read it alongside lumens, colour temperature and colour rendering.
glaminia is independent and does not sell lamps or recommend dealers. Images are AI generated illustrations, not photographs of specific products. Have fixed electrical work done by a qualified electrician.
