TV and monitor energy label: SDR and HDR

What is on the label

The label carries ten items set by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2013, in force for TVs, monitors and signage displays since 1 March 2021.

Items on the electronic display label
Item	What it tells you
QR code	Opens the model’s entry in EPREL, the EU product register.
Supplier and model identifier	The exact model the values belong to.
A to G scale and SDR class	Energy efficiency class while showing ordinary standard dynamic range video.
kWh/1000 h (SDR)	Electricity used in 1,000 hours of SDR viewing, in whole kWh; numerically equal to the average power in watts.
HDR class and kWh/1000 h	The same two values with HDR content. Left off the label if the screen does not support HDR.
Screen pictogram	Visible diagonal in centimetres and inches, and horizontal × vertical resolution in pixels.
2019/2013	The number of the regulation that defines the label.

How the power is measured

Power is measured in the normal configuration: the picture settings the screen has from the factory or recommends at first set-up, while it plays a standardised loop of moving broadcast-type video.

The room is at 23 °C ± 5 °C; after at least an hour of warm-up, power is averaged over 10 consecutive minutes.
For HDR, the test loop carries HDR metadata, and the screen has to switch to HDR by itself.
Automatic brightness control is off for the test. If it is on by default and cuts power by at least 20 % when the room darkens from 100 to 12 lux, 10 % is deducted from the measured power.

How the class is derived

The class compares the measured power with a reference power for a screen of the same area, so a large TV and a small monitor can share a class while using very different amounts of electricity.

The index is the measured power plus 1 W, divided by a reference that rises with viewing area, more slowly for very large screens; HDR uses the same formula. Thresholds:

A: below 0.30
B: 0.30 to under 0.40
C: 0.40 to under 0.50
D: 0.50 to under 0.60
E: 0.60 to under 0.75
F: 0.75 to under 0.90
G: 0.90 and above

Energy classes of all registered models

A B C D E 38% F 32% G 19%

A: 2% · B: 1% · C: 2% · D: 5% · E: 38% · F: 32% · G: 19%

Compare kWh/1000 h within the same screen size. Across sizes the class is misleading: a 65-inch set in class E can draw more than a 43-inch set in class G.

From kWh/1000 h to a yearly figure

Multiply the label value by the hours you watch in a year and divide by 1,000. At four hours a day (1,460 hours), a screen rated 70 kWh/1000 h uses about 102 kWh a year.

Our TVs and monitors pages use the SDR figure and four hours a day, which you can change; the electricity cost calculator works for any wattage.

What the label leaves out

The label covers on-mode power in the default picture mode and nothing else.

Standby and networked standby. Declared in the product information sheet in EPREL, not on the label.
Other picture modes. Vivid, game or a brighter backlight can use far more; the Commission notes that only the default mode has a guaranteed low power.
Quality. Panel type, peak brightness, refresh rate and sound are not covered.
Connected devices. Soundbars, set-top boxes and consoles use their own electricity.

For the class scales used across all appliances see the general label guide; for choosing a size and type see the TV and monitor buying guide.

Questions

What does kWh/1000 h mean on a TV label?

It is the electricity a screen uses in 1,000 hours of viewing in its default picture mode. Because 1,000 hours at 1 watt is 1 kWh, the number also equals the average power in watts.

Why is the HDR class usually worse than the SDR class?

HDR content drives the panel much brighter, so the screen draws more power while the reference for its size stays the same. The HDR values sit in the smaller box on the label.

Is a bigger TV with a better class cheaper to run?

Not necessarily. The class is relative to screen area, so a large set in a good class can still use more electricity than a small one in a poor class. Compare kWh/1000 h between screens of the same size.

Do computer monitors have the same label as TVs?

Yes. Monitors fall under the same regulation and use the same label, scale and formula. Only signage displays get a correction for very high brightness.

How to read the energy label on TVs and monitors