KSEBOA - KSEB Officers' Association

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Beginning January 7 next year, no electrical appliance maker will be allowed to sell products that are low on energy savings. The government has told electrical appliances’ makers to sell only those products that have been certified as energy efficient.The directive at present applies to four categories of consumer goods — refrigerators, air conditioners, tubelights and transformers. The same requirement would be extended to other products such as motor pumps, ceiling fans, LPG stoves, colour televisions and water geysers gradually.

At present, companies including Samsung, LG, Whirlpool and Godrej get their products labelled voluntarily.The gazette notified on July 7 makes it mandatory for companies to get these products labelled as energy efficient by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) before sale. BEE is the nodal agency for executing energy efficiency and conservation schemes in the country. It gives star ratings on a scale of one to five depending on the efficiency to 10 categories of electrical appliances.

“Beginning January 7, 2010, it will be mandatory for each of the four products to carry the star labels,” BEE director general Ajay Mathur told . An order in this regard would be circulated shortly, he said.

BEE is constantly increasing the number of appliances that can be rated voluntarily. Mathur said the scheme, which was started about two years ago, with refrigerators, would also be extended to washing machines and cell phone chargers.

“(Ratings of) other products will become mandatory in due time. We are trying to create market pressure on manufacturers to produce star-rated products through creation of such brands,” Mathur said.

Consumer durables manufacturers have appreciated the move to make ratings compulsory saying they are prepared for the change. Some, however, say that consumers may have to shell out more from their pockets for the products.

“All our refrigerators and air conditioners are energy-labelled. While the refrigerators are two, three and five-star-rated, our air conditioners are two, three, four and five-star labelled. With every added star, a customer has to pay a price premium of Rs 800 to Rs 1,000,” said Whirlpool India vice- president, corporate affairs and strategy- South Asia, Shantanu Dasgupta.

Although energy-efficient products do not require separate manufacturing lines, they would need a change in design engineering, he said, adding in case of refrigerators, there has to be change in foam and shield systems.

Mahesh Krishnan, Philips Consumer Electronics, lifestyle head, said the company is in the process of getting the existing range of televisions certified.
Samsung India’s deputy managing director R Zutshi said the company has the largest portfolio of five-star rated refrigerators in the Indian market. “Our 2009 AC (air conditioner) lineup too is star rated,” he said.

Krishan Sachdev, director of marketing and strategy of air-conditioner maker Carrier, said the programme benefits the customers the most because it ensures that every product purchased fulfils the company's claims.


Source - Mydigitalfalc