Star Energy Ratings: All you need to know this festive season

It’s that time of the year, when Indians set out to make long cherished purchases. Although this involves automobiles and machinery, the relevant categories which we intend to talk about are electronics and home appliances.

During this festive season, deals make products an attractive buy. But when purchasing home appliances, how could a choice be made? They’re all nearly the same. More like utility services. You need them, and you pay a monthly bill for it. But in reality, there is a standard that sets the best from the rest. The answer is star energy ratings.

We spoke to a few individuals in the know to understand how an informed decision could be made before the customary shopping this festive season.

Is there a means to identify efficiency?

According to Amit Kumar, Partner – Energy & Utilities, PwC India to understand the objective of Star Ratings. He said, “Bureau of Energy Efficiency has observed that within the available technological perspective, some appliances are highly energy efficient and superior in performance in the same category available in the market. This resulted in binding the program based on comparative labelling called star ratings.”

So in order to differentiate between the energy efficiency of products sold in the market, a marking system has been developed.

Kumar adds, “The star ratings is depicted through pictorial labels ranging from 1 to 5 in the increasing order of energy efficiency and is intended to provide the consumer an informed choice about the energy efficient appliances. A higher star rating means the appliance is more efficient as compared to lower star rating.”

According to Amit Maheshwari, Director – Marketing and Strategy, Toshiba, “A 5-star air-conditioner will consume less power/electricity compared to a 1-star air-conditioner which in consumer terms means less electricity bill.”

Anything better than 5 star?

According to Gunjan Dua, Corporate Communications, Miele India Pvt Ltd, “Energy efficiency is an extremely important feature while designing any appliance. At Miele, while an appliance is manufactured, it is not passed until the efficiency standards are appropriately met; and this happens for a reason that while appliances are here to make lives hassle-free and convenient, they thrive on natural resources available with us which are technically depleting. As a conscious manufacturer it becomes our duty to employ technological advancements in not just evolving a new product, but also minimising the consumption of electricity the appliance uses.”

Dua adds that products manufactured by companies such as Miele follow EU standards which are far more stringent when compared to the Indian Star Ratings by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

It becomes extremely important to manufacture appliances that are not just making lives easier but help in sustaining the environment. “At Miele, our MasterCool refrigerator, having the capacity around 479 litres consumes only 1 unit of electricity per day! It is A+++ rated and this is beyond theStar standards used in India. Of course this also helps in reducing the electricity bill,“adds Dua. The dishwashers and washing machines use hardly 6-7 litres of water for each cycle and this too is way below industry standards in India. In India, the usage of water in dishwashers is not considered a criteria for optimal functioning of the appliance, but in times to come we will open up towards this aspect just like we have picked up electricity consumption as a primary factor, adds Dua.

There’s a price to efficiency

Efficient systems such as those by Miele certainly come at a premium price. More like opting for a Bugatti instead of a Nano. But the principles stay the same. If efficiency and durability mean anything to you, then it’s worth looking at the ratings more closely.

Also while selecting the material for every appliance a lot of care is taken to ensure that they do not pose threat to the environment and are recyclable. At Miele, the appliances are almost 95% recyclable!

Kumar from PwC adds, “The star rated energy efficient appliances use less electricity to achieve the same level of performance to similar models with the same size or capacity without diminishing the services it provides to the consumer. The more energy efficient a model, the less energy it will use and the less it will cost to run. Thus, the consumers will have an opportunity save electricity bills.” However, it should be noted that the actual electricity consumption /savings will depend on how an appliance is used and how often it is used, Kumar explains. As an appliance’s energy efficiency increases, the star rating increases and the appliance with five star ratings is the most efficient and the least efficient models are rated with one star.

If we’re all supposed to use energy efficient systems, why are appliances rated one or two stars even permitted in the market, you may wonder. To this Kumar says, “Energy efficient appliances has a direct co-relation with cost since they use state of the art technology and better material to manufacture them. Thus, it is important to make appliances available in the market that can cater to all consumers segments and give them a choice. Moreover, the energy saving depends on the usage of appliance. For example, higher usage of appliance with higher star ratings can make a large reduction in electricity bill in the long run. However, if the usage is not significant then your initial higher cost for purchasing the most efficient appliance will take a long time for payback.”

Maheshwari added that “Consumers can see the benefits immediately on heavy power consuming appliances like air-conditioners and in this category the best indicator is the monthly electricity bill. More stars mean more energy efficiency, less electricity used by an appliance and more savings on consumer’s monthly energy bill.”

In order to ensure that you benefit the most, he adds, “While purchasing an appliance like air-conditioner, customers should look at the star labelled product and the star rating. Product with higher star rating might be expensive, but the running cost is lower and hence higher start rated appliance should be chosen.” The Star rating program run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, besides promoting consciousness on energy saving also helps consumer make a more informed decision.

According to Maheshwari, “Toshiba comes with a range of 3-star & 5-star hi-wall split air-conditioners.  The payback time of a 5-star hi-wall split air-conditioner is around two years depending upon the usage, application etc.”

Thanks to a star rating system, consumers now have the means to determine exactly what they want to invest in. So this time, when you head out to make your purchases this festive season, consider the savings you could make if you invest in a 5 star rated appliance.