Refrigerators, lamps to have ratings from Jan

The government will make energy efficiency labels mandatory for four appliances, including refrigerators and florescent lamps, from January 7 next year.

"BEE will bring out a notification for the compulsory labelling of the four electrical appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, distribution transformers and tubular florescent lamps on January 7," a source at the Power Ministry said.

He said, "The labelling fee should be less than 0.5 per cent of the retail price of the product which would be used to run the awareness campaign for this scheme as well as meeting expenses on collection and testing of samples."

So far energy efficiency labelling for electric appliances was voluntary under the Standards & Labelling Program being run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the Power Ministry's nodal agency on energy conservation.

"The revenue from the voluntary contributions made under the scheme during 2009 was estimated at Rs 5 crore (Rs 50 million) against Rs 40 crore (Rs 400 million) expenditure incurred for running this scheme," he added.