The European Union passed a new regulation to prevent misleading claims on energy efficiency for home appliances, but excluded a key product: light bulbs. Companies will no longer be able to test refrigerators, TVs, and dishwashers using a 10% margin of error between their advertised and actual energy consumption, under an amendment to the EU's ecodesign law. But due to the EU’s fear of a possible collapse of the light bulb sector, which might not be ready to face the new rule, light bulbs will be exempt from this requirement. Surveys indicate that around one-fifth of household electrical products use more energy than claimed, and manufacturers’ trade groups welcomed the EU move. But the scale of misleading advertising appears highest in the lighting industry, with some bulb-makers exaggerating their products’ energy performance by up to 25%. This mismatch causes unexpected costs in consumers' electricity bills and pushes small companies to alter figures in order to be more competitive and stay in business. For the full story, read http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/12/lightbulbs-lighting-excluded-eu-regulations-energy-efficiency-advertising.