If you are looking to buy a new air conditioner, it is better to you get it right away. This is clearly because of the recently announced energy rating rules for air conditioners. As per the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s (BEE) notification dated April 19, the energy rating rules for air conditioners are set to change from July 1, 2021.
The new standard was initially expected to come into effect in January, 2022. But, at the request of manufacturers, the government offered a six months grace period so that companies are able to clear their inventory. Let’s now explain how the rule will impact consumers in the long run.
India’s new energy efficiency rating norms require the energy rating of existing air conditioners to be lowered by one star. This means that the rating for a 5-star AC will straightway get lowered to 4-star from July 1 onwards. As a result of the new energy efficiency rating guidelines, prices of ACs in India are expected to hike by 7-10 per cent in the time to come, a report from the Economic Times states. AC manufacturers, however, haven’t clarified many details on how they are going to implement these guidelines starting the month next.
The guidelines also require AC manufacturers to change the designs of their models a bit. These manufacturers are required to work on increasing the airflow, the surface area of copper tubes, and also offer a more efficient compressor in order to increase the energy efficiency.
BEE requires air conditioners available in India to be smarter at consuming energy or electricity and consume less energy than the older models. Once these changes come into effect, the energy rating of all air conditioners manufactured before June 30, 2022 will expire. This simply means that these ACs will be rated a step lower than they originally were. “Please note that all the existing models are valid only till 30th June, 2022 and will expire automatically after the expiry of the validity period,” BEE stated in a circular. As a result, new air conditioners manufactured after June 30, 2022 will get a five-star rating that is compliant with the updated standards.
BEE’s notification also noted that the new energy efficiency norm will be applicable from July 1 2022 to December 31 2024, post which the appliances rated 5-star will drop to 4-star. Once the upcoming rule expires, BEE will likely update the guidelines and bring a fresh set of rules for these manufacturers.
