TL;DR: L stands for Live (hot) — the conductor carrying voltage from the source. E or the ground symbol indicates Earth (equipment ground). These labels appear on appliance terminals, consumer electronics, and imported equipment. Have you looked at the wires in your circuit? This guide will tell you what the labels and colors mean. Each wire is labeled accordingly because it. wiring - Is there a way to identify which wire is L and which is N on an appliance (the electrical device itself, not the wall socket)? - Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange Is there a way to identify which wire is L and which is N on an appliance (the electrical device itself, not the wall. UK wiring colours since April 2006: brown = live, blue = neutral, green/yellow = earth. Old colours (pre-2006): red = live, black = neutral. Quick reference table, three-phase colours, and mixed installation safety rules. Davies, Electrical Engineering InstructorLast reviewed:. The following table provides the commonly used electrical wiring schematic symbols for push-buttons and lamps which comply with the IEC and BS Electrical Symbols. In electrics, it is customary to distinguish wires by color.