BEE labelling mandatory for ACs, fridges from Jan 7

Refrigerators, transformers, air-conditioners (ACs) and tubelights would be brought under the mandatory labelling of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) from January seven, a top BEE official said today.

The Bureau has already issued notification in this regard and refrigerators of up to 460 litres capacity, ACs of up to two tonne, tubelights and all kinds of transformers would be covered under the mandatory BEE labelling, its director general Ajay Mathur told reporters here. He was speaking at a national conference on pumps on the theme of energy efficiency pumping systems.

Pumps and motors, colour television sets, LPG stoves, and electric storage water heaters would be under voluntary labelling, which depending on the market response would be converted into mandatory labelling category, he added. Electric items like pumps and ceiling fans were already in the category of  voluntary labelling mechanism.

The Bureau is working to bring some more products, like washing machines, mobile chargers, set top boxes, inverters, diesel pump sets, computers, laptops, fax machines and printers under mandatory labelling, which would become operational in other two years.
Mathur said that by implementing these labels the nation can save a minimum 10,000 MW power annually.

With the steps taken by the BEE to utilise energy efficient devices from 2007, about 4,400 MW have already been saved and it is set to achieve the targeted 10,000 MW in the remaining two years of the 11th Plan, he said.