The Lighting Industry Association is aware that, according to media reports, some retailers are offering special purpose lamps intended for rough service environments to consumers in an attempt to circumnavigate the EU phase out of inefficient lamps.

This is predominantly a market surveillance issue and the National Measurement Office, the body charged with policing the relevant regulations in the UK, have issued a document on this practice which can be found here:

The LIA support the drive to introduce more efficient lighting whilst improving the quality of the lit environment and believe that the ErP Regulations being applied across all EU countries is an effective vehicle for achieving that by phasing out very energy inefficient lamps in favour of more energy efficient types. Rough service lamps are still available under the ErP Regulations as "special purpose" lamps specifically designed for certain industry uses. Consumers should be aware that these lamps are marked as 'not suitable for household room illumination' and this warning should be heeded. Genuine rough service lamps are intended to be used in industrial applications and as well as costing considerably more to run than an energy efficient lamp they also provide, because of their design, a lower level of light than their equivalent household incandescent lamp.

Furthermore consumers should consider the NMO advice that their household insurance policy might be invalidated should one or more of these lamps be used in their house.

The NMO have indicated in their statement that they will carry out market surveillance to enforce the Regulations and will check the labelling for conformity but also have the power to request copies of the Technical Files kept by the manufacturers which should detail the design parameters which support the case for labelling these lamps as special purpose.