The labelling of lighting products in Europe has been overhauled with two new top tiers of energy-efficiency, lumens replacing watts as a measure of a given product's output and labelling for luminaires and lamps.
It is anticipated that the new labelling scheme will add A+ and A++ ratings to the existing A-E scale of noting lamp efficiency.
This A++ category makes room for new bulbs and some of today's existing products such as Scotlight's brilliant Aries Three Light Bathroom Spotlight.
To get a top rating in the new system, a non-directional lamp must have an energy-efficiency of 0.11 or below, while a directional product needs to have 0.13 or below.
Changes are set out in proposed European legislation that aims to increase transparency and boost efficiency, Lux Magazine reports.
This move follows the EU's decision to recently roll out the final stages of its plan to ban the manufacturing and importing of all traditional incandescent bulbs.
It is expected that the directive will reduce the energy use of lighting and it means that retailers are now no longer able to stock 25 watt to 100 watt bulbs.
The energy labelling scheme is credited with a ten per cent improvement in energy efficiency between 1998 and 2008, but this doesn't currently include professional, directional and extra low-voltage lamps.
Technical marketing manager at Philips John Gorse told the news provider it is very important that as the lighting industry moves forward, people start to understand which ceiling light fittings are the most energy efficient.
He added: "The education process is quite a task and manufacturers, retailers and distributors need to work collaboratively to effectively deliver the message about energy saving, while at the same time understanding how light is delivered into a space."
Mr Gorse said the system "is designed to give consumers and users of lighting in domestic and commercial installations far greater transparency of the efficiency of their lighting choices."
