What is BEE Star Rating? Read it's Meaning & Purpose

If you have ever gone shopping for electrical appliances for your home or office, you may have noticed those BEE star labels stuck to the front of these products. These labels display the BEE star rating of the appliance. But how does this BEE star label affect you as a user? 

BEE ratings (Bureau of Energy Efficiency Ratings) refer to the ratings that show how much electricity your appliance consumes in a year. Each appliance gets between one and five stars, with five stars meaning your appliance is extremely efficient and is keeping your electricity consumption in check. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency star label is a crucial indicator and should be considered before deciding to buy a certain electronic appliance in India. It helps by ensuring energy efficiency is achieved to the maximum extent possible. This label helps consumers to save money and energy by choosing the most energy-efficient products. 

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency

BEE full form is the Bureau of Energy Efficiency. It is an Indian governmental agency under the Ministry of Power. It acts as an intermediary body between the Government, manufacturers and consumers with the goal of energy efficiency. The main goal of this agency is to set norms and standards for energy ratings and act as an enforcement body. 

The electrical appliances that different brands offer are awarded a BEE star rating certificate by BEE themselves if they meet the necessary criteria for energy efficiency.  

BEE is also responsible for making consumers aware of the importance of energy efficiency and why they should opt for products that save energy. This includes educating consumers about energy efficiency and helping them make wise decisions. The BEE star labelling program started in May 2006. The program is one of the major pillars of BEE. A key objective of this scheme is to provide the consumer with knowledge about energy saving and, thereby, the cost-saving potential of the relevant product. The scheme targets a clear display of energy performance labels on end-use electronic equipment and lays down the minimum energy performance standards. 

The BEE Star Label

The BEE star label has multiple sizes depending on the appliance’s usage and consumption. For example, the size of the label of a fan could be different from appliances like LED bulbs or air conditioners. 

The big energy label is for appliances that consume more electricity and are used for a longer period of time. These labels show additional information such as the yearly energy consumption of the product, brand name, product category and much more. This Bureau of Energy Efficiency star label enables the consumer o quickly learn about the efficiency of the product without understanding the technicalities of the product.

The smaller label is found on appliances that usually don’t consume much energy. These labels just give you a visual representation of the energy consumption levels by featuring star ratings. This is usually the case for tube lights, fans, computers, etc. 

Fun fact that you may not have known about! BEE star ratings are even applied to vehicular tires.

The BEE star labels are a way for manufacturers to label the energy efficiency of an appliance. The stars on the label determine the energy efficiency of that product as compared to other similar products. In order to receive a BEE certificate, manufacturers must test their products in an accredited laboratory and submit the results to BEE for approval. 

The BEE label showcases ratings that are dependent on many factors. A general myth is that the BEE star label mark is based on the appliance’s power consumption. However, this is not true. To get a BEE 5-star rating, you must adhere to all the standards and norms set by BEE. A good BEE rating means that the appliance ranks high on energy efficiency. 

How is the BEE Star Rating Decided?

Each new appliance that is launched in the Indian market has to be tested in a lab accredited by NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories). The product testing takes a few days, and the power consumption and energy efficiency are measured. While the BEE cannot practically test each appliance and give star ratings to it, it is up to the brands to maintain the rating standards for products, and the BEE can randomly conduct checks. 

The Purpose of a BEE Star Rating

The main purpose of a BEE star rating is to educate and inform consumers about the energy efficiency of the product that they are buying. Usually, you will always see a BEE star label mark on heavy electronic appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines, etc. The appliance will also have an indicator of the power it is expected to consume in a year. The energy rating is extremely important and shouldn’t be ignored by consumers because if we have to progress towards maximum energy efficiency and power conservation, we need to be more responsible. 

BEE is doing a great job of helping us pick more energy-efficient appliances. However, as consumers, we should be more responsible about our usage too. Another benefit of the BEE star labels is that they help in monthly cost savings on electricity bills that definitely can’t be ignored. 

In addition, BEE informs consumers about products that feature false labels. Before making a purchase, you can take a look at the BEE website and see if the product is listed there for any false claims or BEE star ratings. 

Keep in mind that higher ratings mean higher energy efficiency. However, always compare similar products. For example, you cannot compare a 1-ton air conditioner with a 5-star rating to a 2-ton air conditioner with a 5-star rating or a 1-ton split air conditioner. 

FAQs on BEE Star Label Rating

1. What is the BEE 5-star rating?

The number of stars on a BEE label is determined by how much energy a product uses compared to similar products that use the same amount of energy. The stars are assigned using a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most efficient.

2. What does the BEE star rating represent?

The BEE star rating represents the energy efficiency of the appliance. The BEE label features stars to show a product’s efficiency. The purpose of this rating is to let consumers pick products that save energy as well as money.

3. How is the BEE star rating decided?

Each electronic appliance that is launched is tested by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. Depending on the norms and standards set by the BEE, the appliance is given star ratings that can be showcased on the label.