In the future, product recalls may not be restricted only to the auto sector. If the amendment to the Energy Conservation Act, as recommended by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, is accepted and enacted into law, consumer durables such as air conditioners and refrigerators may also be subject to recall if they are not manufactured to specified standards.
BEE, a statutory body under the Union ministry of Power, is pushing for an amendment to the Energy Conservation Act that could see manufacturers of energy star rated appliances recall their products if found non-compliant to the prescribed standards.
It is mandatory for split air-conditioners, frost-free refrigerators, fluorescent lamps and distribution transformers to conform to the energy labelling norms but now this is only a self-certification process.
When random testing of the star labelled products by BEE is found to be below the standards, manufacturers are notified and given two months’ time to set right the deficiencies.
If the compliance norms are still not met within two months, the product loses its star rating and the public is notified through media.
“Nothing, however, prevents them from selling the faulty products during this period,” said Mr S.P. Garnaik, energy economist at BEE.