A future EU energy label for computers could make power consumption easier to compare with the work a device is expected to handle. The European Commission published its evaluation study on 4 September 2026, but the work concerns a possible label rather than a confirmed launch.
Usage would shape the comparison
The study found that most respondents preferred energy performance to be shown by type of use. That preference links the energy comparison to the way a computer is used, rather than presenting performance without a use context. A label built around usage would give households a more relevant starting point than a single figure detached from intended use.
For high-end computers, the study recommends a dual-scale label. For devices intended for everyday use, it recommends a single scale. The distinction reflects a practical compromise between explaining ordinary computer use clearly and representing the wider performance range of more powerful systems.
Wh per hour is the preferred energy figure
Respondents strongly preferred energy consumption to be expressed per hour of use, in Wh. That unit could help people connect the label to the time they spend using a computer and compare consumption more directly across devices. It would still need to be read alongside the computer’s workload and performance, because a lower hourly figure alone does not describe what the machine can do.
The Commission’s study also recommends putting computing-performance information on the label, supported by additional explanations. That recommendation responds to a barrier identified in the research: non-specialist users generally struggle to understand energy consumption, efficiency and workload. A number without context risks shifting the confusion from the product listing to the label itself.
What the study changes for households
The Commission’s publication presents recommendations for a possible label; it does not establish a final label for consumers. Its value is in showing how a future scheme could connect energy use with the task being performed. For households comparing computers on electricity consumption, the direction of the proposal is clear: an hourly energy figure should be interpreted with performance and intended use rather than treated as a standalone score.
The legal framework already requires the Commission to test the design and content of energy labels with representative samples of EU consumers for each new product group. The computer study is part of that evidence-gathering process. It narrows the likely shape of a useful label, while leaving the final design and any future implementation to the next stages of EU decision-making.
A computer label based on hourly Wh, usage type and understandable performance information could make energy comparisons more practical at home. The remaining challenge is keeping the explanation simple enough for non-specialists without flattening the differences between everyday and high-end machines.
Source: European Commission preparatory study on a possible energy label for computers.