Decoding the 2025 European Energy Label: Why Did the Original A++ Become Today's E? (Resolving Confusion)
Decoding the 2025 European Energy Label: Why Did the Original A++ Become Today's E? (Resolving Confusion)
Many consumers still remember products proudly labelled A+ or A++, only to find that similar-looking products are now rated D or even E.
So what happened? Did products suddenly become less efficient or did the label change?
The short answer: the scale was reset. And understanding why helps make much better purchasing decisions today.
The old problem: when “A++” stopped meaning anything
The original European energy label was introduced to help consumers quickly identify efficient products. It worked perhaps too well.
As technology improved, manufacturers quickly pushed products into the top categories.
Soon:
A became common / A+ followed / then A++ / and eventually A+++
At that point, the label stopped being useful. When most products clustered at the top, consumers could no longer tell which product was genuinely best, only that everything claimed to be “excellent”.
In practice, the scale had run out of room.
The 2021–2025 reset: back to a clean A–G scale
To fix this, the EU introduced a redesigned energy label, now fully rolled out across product categories by 2025.
The new label:
l Returns to a simple A–G scale
l Removes A+, A++ and A+++
l Sets much stricter thresholds for top ratings
Crucially, the scale was reset ahead of current technology, leaving room for future innovation.
That’s why:
Yesterday’s A++ often maps to today’s D or E
Not because the product got worse but because the benchmark got tougher.
Why very few products are rated A today
You may notice that almost no products carry an A rating and that’s intentional.
The EU designed the scale so that:
- Only truly exceptional, next-generation products qualify
- Innovation is encouraged without constantly redesigning the label
This prevents the same inflation problem from happening again.
So when you do see an A-rated product under the new label, it genuinely represents best-in-class efficiency.
Key Differences: E-Rated vs A-Rated Bulbs
l Electricity use: A-rated bulbs consume significantly less power for the same brightness.
l Heat output: A-rated bulbs run cooler, converting more energy into light rather than heat.
l Lifespan: Lower operating temperatures reduce stress on components, extending durability.
l Efficiency edge: A-rated bulbs represent the leading edge of today’s lighting technology, while E-rated bulbs meet modern standards but sit closer to the baseline.
Why this change ultimately benefits consumers ?
While the transition caused confusion, the reset was necessary.
The new label:
● Restores clarity and credibility
● Makes real efficiency differences visible again
● Protects consumers from misleading “top-tier” claims
● Encourages long-term innovation rather than label gaming
Once understood, it’s a better tool just one that requires a mental reset.
The bottom line
If an old A+ product is now labelled E, nothing went wrong.
The product didn’t regress the scale evolved.
Understanding that shift is the key to making confident, informed choices in 2025 and beyond. When you know how to read the label, it once again becomes what it was meant to be: a simple guide to smarter energy use.
