The energy label: how to read the A–G scale

The coloured label on a lamp box shows energy efficiency. We explain how the scale was rescaled and what the letters actually stand for.

On the back of a lamp box you see a ladder of arrows from green to red and a large letter. That is the energy label. We know it from fridges and washing machines, but for lamps its logic has changed in recent years, and that confuses many buyers: yesterday's "top" bulb may now show a much lower letter.

What the label is for

The energy label lets you compare products in the same category at a glance. For lamps the key question is how much light you get for each watt of energy. That ratio is called luminous efficacy and is measured in lumens per watt (lm/W). The higher the letter, the less energy the lamp needs for the same light.

The label does not tell you how bright a lamp is, what colour its light is or how long it will last. Those are separate figures and should be printed elsewhere on the box.

Remember too that the label compares products within one category. The letters on a lamp label and on a fridge label are calculated to different criteria, so an "A-class fridge" and an "A-class lamp" have no direct relationship. Each product group has its own test method and its own thresholds.

The old scale and the new one

For many years the European Union used a scale running from A++ to E. As LED technology improved, nearly all LED lamps bunched into the top classes and the label stopped telling products apart. So from September 2021 the EU introduced a rescaled A–G label for lamps, with no more "plus" classes.

The new thresholds are far stricter. Class A requires an efficacy of roughly 210 lm/W or more, a level most ordinary LED lamps on the market do not yet reach. As a result a typical LED bulb rated A+ or A++ on the old scale often lands in class E or F on the new one. The bulb has not got worse; the ruler has changed so that more efficient products can stand out in future.

On the Azerbaijani market you may find labels from different periods on both imported and local products. When comparing two lamps, first make sure they are marked on the same scale: an "A+" lamp cannot be compared directly with an "E" lamp.

What else is on the label

Apart from the letter, the new-style label carries several useful elements:

• Energy consumption in kWh/1000h. This is how many kilowatt-hours the lamp uses in 1,000 hours of operation; for an 8-watt lamp it is about 8 kWh. The figure is effectively the wattage expressed differently, but it makes the arithmetic easy.
• A QR code linking to the European product database (EPREL), where the model's full technical sheet is published: luminous flux, colour temperature, lifetime data.
• The supplier's name and the model identifier.

Older labels usually showed only the letter and an annual kWh figure.

Using the label sensibly

The label is only one part of the decision. In practice this order works well:

• First decide how much light you need in lumens, based on the room and the task.
• Then choose the base, the shape and the colour temperature.
• Only among lamps that meet those conditions, look at the energy class.
• Among lamps with the same letter, compare the kWh/1000h figure: for the same light output, lower is more economical.

A high-class lamp that gives less light than you need is not a saving: the room will stay dim and another light will go on. Equally, for a pantry lamp that burns a few minutes a day, a class one step lower makes practically no difference. Efficiency matters in direct proportion to how long a lamp is lit.

Watch the details

The label is an official document, yet on the market it is sometimes simply printed as a picture. If the QR code leads nowhere or the model code cannot be found in the database, treat the information with caution. When in doubt, asking the manufacturer for the technical data sheet is the right move.

If you need model-specific technical data for the Zəfər İşığı LED lamps made by Zaferoğlu Elektrik in Ganja, you can send a request through the contact and quote form on the company's website.