New energy label for illuminants officially presented

In the future, light bulbs in the EU will also have a redesigned energy label. The previously best energy efficiency class A+++ will in future bear the designation D. Already from 01 September the change comes into force.

Lighting means: energy efficiency classes from A to G

Anyone who wants to buy a light bulb will find a redesigned energy label on the packaging in stores starting on 01 September 2021, which provides information on power consumption, for example. According to Regulation 2015/2019/EU, all light sources with a luminous flux between 60 and 82,000 lumens and OLED are affected.

The previous class designations have been redesigned for better clarity. A+++ will become energy efficiency class D, and the overall spectrum will range from class A to class G in the future – the gradations into the plus categories will be completely eliminated in the future.

This restructuring became necessary because many lamps now exceed the class specifications. The new regulations are prescribed by the Ecodesign Directive 2021. For the time being, the upper classes of lamps will remain empty. The most energy-efficient, currently available, models start with class D.

However, there will be a transition period during the changeover: for 18 months, illuminants will carry both the old and the new energy label. The new label also has a QR code that leads to further information in a European product database via the smartphone camera or an app with a scanning function.

The end for energy-saving lamps

Another change also comes into effect with the new label. With the change, fewer energy-saving lamps (compact fluorescent lamps) and certain halogen lamps will be found in stores. These may no longer be placed on the market new, remaining stocks will only be sold off before the illuminants disappear completely from the market.

The new energy-saving label for lamps is the next step in the EU-wide changeover. Already in March 2021, the energy labels for televisions and monitors, among other things, were changed over. Large electrical appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers have also had a new label since the beginning of the year.