Quick answer
EU heating products carry energy labels under the 2013 labelling regulations: space heaters are classed A+++ to D by seasonal efficiency ηs, and hot water storage tanks A+ to F by standing loss in watts. A revision consulted on until January 2026 plans a rescaled A–G label with QR codes to the EPREL database — not yet in force as of September 2026, so today's classes still apply when specifying.
## How do EU energy labels for heating work today?
Every space heater, combination heater, water heater and hot water storage tank sold in the EU carries an energy label under a four-regulation architecture from 2013: Regulations 811/2013 and 812/2013 define the labels, while their ecodesign twins 813/2013 and 814/2013 set the minimum performance a product needs to be sold at all. Space and combination heaters are ranked A+++ to D; water heaters and storage tanks have run A+ to F since 26 September 2017.
The class is set by a measured number, and knowing which number is the key to reading any heating label. For space heaters it is the seasonal space heating efficiency [ηs](knowledge/glossary/eta-s-seasonal-efficiency), which converts every technology to one primary-energy scale; for water heaters it is water-heating efficiency against a declared tapping profile; for storage tanks it is [standing loss](knowledge/glossary/standing-loss) in watts. Behind each label sits a product fiche in the EU's EPREL database, where the underlying figures can be compared directly.
## What decides a space heater's label class?
ηs — useful heat delivered as a share of primary energy consumed — maps directly onto the classes:
| Class | ηs threshold (space heating) | Typical products |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A+++ | ≥150% | Better heat pumps (low-temperature heat pumps use a stricter scale, A+++ from 175%) |
| A++ | ≥125% | Most air-to-water heat pumps |
| A+ | ≥98% | Entry heat pumps, best hybrids |
| A | ≥90% | Condensing gas and oil boilers (90–94%) |
| B and below | <90% | Older and non-condensing technology |
The compression is obvious: nearly every heat pump lands between A+ and A+++ because a [SCOP](knowledge/glossary/scop-seasonal-cop) of 3.5 already converts to an ηs of about 137%, while the best condensing boilers cannot escape class A at 90–94%. A scale designed in 2013 to differentiate boilers now bunches the winning technology into its top classes — one of the main reasons a rescale is on the table.
## How are hot water storage tanks labelled?
Tank classes are pure functions of standing loss — the watts a tank leaks while held at 65 °C in a 20 °C room. A 300-litre class B tank may lose no more than about 70 W, roughly 1.7 kWh per day, and the class formulas scale with volume so that large and small tanks compete fairly.
For buyers the letter is a shortcut but the watt figure is the durable comparison number — it translates directly into kilowatt-hours per day and euros per year, and it will survive any relabelling untouched. The spread is worth money: for a 300-litre tank the gap between class C and class A+ is about 62 W, which compounds to roughly 540 kWh of lost heat per year — energy the heating system must generate again before a single litre reaches a tap. Over a 20-year tank life, insulation class quietly outweighs most purchase-price differences. The formulas, worked examples and annual cost arithmetic are covered in the [standing loss glossary entry](knowledge/glossary/standing-loss). Solimpeks manufactures its Solibuffer range (50–1,000 litres) with high-density insulation on exactly this basis.
## How do package labels work with solar collectors?
The package label is the labelling system's least-known and most commercially useful feature: when a heater is sold together with a solar device, a storage tank and controls, the installer issues a combined label for the package — and the solar contribution can lift the package one or more classes above the heater alone. A gas boiler in class A can reach A+ or better as part of a solar package; a heat pump package can push into A+++.
This is the mechanism that puts certified solar performance data to work at the point of sale. The calculation feeds on tested collector parameters — the reason [Solar Keymark](knowledge/glossary/solar-keymark) data matters commercially far beyond subsidy paperwork — and it rewards exactly the hybrid configurations the [EPBD](knowledge/guides/epbd-explained-for-heating) still allows subsidies for. Installers issue the package label at quotation, so knowing the arithmetic is a genuine selling skill: the collector that lifts a package across a class boundary frequently sells itself. Heat pump water heaters and solar packages occupy the top water-heating classes for the same reason: the label arithmetic credits every kilowatt-hour that does not come from fuel or grid electricity.
## What will the planned A–G rescale change?
The European Commission ran four parallel public consultations from 28 November 2025 to 23 January 2026 on draft replacements for all four 2013 regulations, with adoption originally foreseen for early 2026. That timetable has slipped: Member States approved the new water heater ecodesign regulation in April 2026 (publication expected in autumn 2026, application from around autumn 2028), while the space heater and energy labelling texts were still pending in September 2026. The direction of the drafts, however, is clear:
| Aspect | Today (811–814/2013) | Planned revision (draft) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Space heater scale | A+++ to D | A to G, top class initially left empty |
| Plus-classes | A+, A++, A+++ | Abolished |
| Data access | Printed fiche | QR code linking to EPREL |
| Pictograms | Basic | Noise, smart-readiness, hybrid function |
| Hybrid heat pumps | No separate category | Added as a product category |
The Commission expects the package to save around 60 TWh of final energy and 12 Mt of CO2 per year by 2030. Commercially, a rescale resets the shelf hierarchy overnight: a heat pump wearing A+++ today may read as class B or C on a rescaled label without changing at all — which is why every distributor will need re-education material for the transition, and why quoting the measured ηs percentage alongside the letter is the safest specification habit through 2026–2027.
The QR code is the sleeper change for the trade. Today the label is a static sticker; under the drafts it becomes a gateway to the live EPREL record, putting the full fiche — declared efficiencies at both temperature applications, sound power, refrigerant — one scan away from any customer in a showroom. Sales teams should expect better-informed buyers and prepare product data accordingly, because the fiche will settle arguments the sticker used to start.
## Could ecodesign rules phase out gas boilers in 2029?
Possibly — it is the biggest open question in the revision. Earlier drafts floated a seasonal efficiency floor of around 115% from about September 2029, a level no standalone gas or oil boiler can physically reach, which would end their placing on the EU market; the threshold and date must be confirmed in the final adopted text on EUR-Lex before treating them as fact.
Even at its softest, the direction aligns with everything else in EU heating law: the EPBD already bans fossil-boiler subsidies and mandates zero-emission new buildings from 2028–2030, and the [ETS2 carbon price](knowledge/guides/ets2-carbon-price-heating-costs) reaches heating fuels in 2028. For buyers the practical advice is simple — choose by the numbers (ηs percentage, standing-loss watts, SCOP) rather than by the letter during the transition, and treat any fossil-only purchase as a shrinking-horizon asset. The measured numbers stay honest even while the letters change.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best energy label class for a heat pump in 2026?
A+++ on the current scale, which requires a seasonal efficiency ηs of 150% or more — roughly a SCOP above 3.8. Most quality air-to-water heat pumps declare A++ or A+++ for low-temperature application, while condensing boilers cannot exceed class A at 90–94%.
Why do hot water tank labels stop at A+ instead of A+++?
Tanks use a different scale — A+ to F since September 2017 under Regulation 812/2013 — because their classes measure standing heat loss in watts rather than seasonal efficiency. A+ marks the best insulation performance, typically vacuum-panel or thick PU-foam construction.
When does the new A–G heating label arrive?
Public consultations on the draft replacement regulations closed on 23 January 2026, and adoption has slipped: Member States approved the water heater ecodesign text in April 2026, with application expected from around autumn 2028, while the label regulations were still pending in September 2026. Until the new regulations apply, the existing A+++ to D and A+ to F labels remain valid.
Can adding a solar collector improve my heating system's label class?
Yes. The package label rates the heater, solar device, tank and controls together, and the certified solar contribution can lift the combination one or more classes above the heater alone. This is calculated from tested collector data, which is why Solar Keymark certification matters at the point of sale.
Are energy label classes comparable between a boiler and a heat pump?
Yes — that is the point of ηs. It converts electricity to primary energy with a factor of 2.5, so a heat pump's 125–190% and a boiler's 90–94% sit on the same scale. The gap on the label reflects a real gap in primary energy consumed for the same heat.