When you purchase an Air Conditioner or a Refrigerator, you must have noticed a star rating sticker on the appliance. These stickers are known as BEE Star labels.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, an Indian agency working under the Ministry of Power, issues the BEE Star labels to electrical appliances like ACs, refrigerators, Washing Machines etc. These labels provide a lot of information about the energy efficiency of your appliance.
For example, the BEE Star label on your AC has the following information.
- ISEER – Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
- Validity Period
- Appliance Type
- Brand
- Model Number and Year
- Cooling Capacity at 100%
- Cooling Capacity at 50%
- Electricity Consumption in units per annum
- Compressor Type
- Heat Pump (Yes/No)
All ACs should mandatorily furnish the information to BEE in a prescribed format. Based on the information submitted by the borrower, BEE calculates the ISEER and certifies the unit as 1-star to 5-star.
Related: ISEER, EER & BEE Star Ratings
This star rating is valid for the period specified in the label. BEE extends the validity period or prescribes new values by issuing necessary government notifications in the gazette.
When was the last time BEE issued this notification?
BEE issued the principal notification through the Ministry of Power on August 8, 2017 (Notification No. 2528(E)). Subsequently, BEE has modified the values thrice and issued three amendments, the latest of which was on November 10, 2021. As a result, these values are valid until December 31, 2024. Let us now look at these values stipulated by BEE in 2017, followed by all its amendments.
Values as per the Original Notification 2528(E) dated August 8, 2017
| Unitary Air Conditioning System | Split Air Conditioning System | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid from January 1, 2018, upto December 31, 2019 | Valid from January 1, 2018, upto December 31, 2019 | ||||
| ISEER | ISEER | ||||
| Star Level | Minimum | Maximum | Star Level | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-Star | 2.5 | 2.69 | 1-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 |
| 2-Star | 2.7 | 2.89 | 2-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 |
| 3-Star | 2.9 | 3.09 | 3-Star | 3.5 | 3.99 |
| 4-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 | 4-Star | 4.0 | 4.49 |
| 5-Star | 3.3 | 5-Star | 4.5 | ||
Amended Values as per the first amendment vide Notification 3897(E) dated October 29, 2019
| Unitary Air Conditioning System | Split Air Conditioning System | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid From January 1, 2018, upto December 31, 2020 | Valid from January 1, 2018, upto December 31, 2020 | ||||
| ISEER | ISEER | ||||
| Star Level | Minimum | Maximum | Star Level | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-Star | 2.5 | 2.69 | 1-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 |
| 2-Star | 2.7 | 2.89 | 2-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 |
| 3-Star | 2.9 | 3.09 | 3-Star | 3.5 | 3.99 |
| 4-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 | 4-Star | 4.0 | 4.49 |
| 5-Star | 3.3 | 5-Star | 4.5 | ||
The same notification introduced another set of values that extended the validity period until December 31, 2023.
| Unitary Air Conditioning System | Split Air Conditioning System | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023 | Valid from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023 | ||||
| ISEER | ISEER | ||||
| Star Level | Minimum | Maximum | Star Level | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-Star | 2.7 | 2.89 | 1-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 |
| 2-Star | 2.9 | 3.09 | 2-Star | 3.5 | 3.79 |
| 3-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 | 3-Star | 3.8 | 4.39 |
| 4-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 | 4-Star | 4.4 | 4.99 |
| 5-Star | 3.5 | 5-Star | 5.0 | ||
Amended values as per Second Amendment Notification 4485 (E) dated December 10, 2020
| Unitary Air Conditioning System | Split Air Conditioning System | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid from January 1, 2018, upto December 31, 2021 | Valid from January 1, 2018, upto December 31, 2021 | ||||
| ISEER | ISEER | ||||
| Star Level | Minimum | Maximum | Star Level | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-Star | 2.5 | 2.69 | 1-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 |
| 2-Star | 2.7 | 2.89 | 2-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 |
| 3-Star | 2.9 | 3.09 | 3-Star | 3.5 | 3.99 |
| 4-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 | 4-Star | 4.0 | 4.49 |
| 5-Star | 3.3 | 5-Star | 4.5 | ||
| Unitary Air Conditioning System | Split Air Conditioning System | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid from January 1, 2022, upto December 31, 2024 | Valid from January 1, 2022, upto December 31, 2024 | ||||
| ISEER | ISEER | ||||
| Star Level | Minimum | Maximum | Star Level | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-Star | 2.7 | 2.89 | 1-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 |
| 2-Star | 2.9 | 3.09 | 2-Star | 3.5 | 3.79 |
| 3-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 | 3-Star | 3.8 | 4.39 |
| 4-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 | 4-Star | 4.4 | 4.99 |
| 5-Star | 3.5 | 5-Star | 5.0 | ||
Amended Values as per Third Amendment 4634 (E) dated November 10, 2021
| Unitary Air Conditioning System | Split Air Conditioning System | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid from January 1, 2018, upto June 30, 2022 | Valid from January 1, 2018, upto June 30, 2022 | ||||
| ISEER | ISEER | ||||
| Star Level | Minimum | Maximum | Star Level | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-Star | 2.5 | 2.69 | 1-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 |
| 2-Star | 2.7 | 2.89 | 2-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 |
| 3-Star | 2.9 | 3.09 | 3-Star | 3.5 | 3.99 |
| 4-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 | 4-Star | 4.0 | 4.49 |
| 5-Star | 3.3 | 5-Star | 4.5 | ||
| Unitary Air Conditioning System | Split Air Conditioning System | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid from July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024 | Valid from July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024 | ||||
| ISEER | ISEER | ||||
| Star Level | Minimum | Maximum | Star Level | Minimum | Maximum |
| 1-Star | 2.7 | 2.89 | 1-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 |
| 2-Star | 2.9 | 3.09 | 2-Star | 3.5 | 3.79 |
| 3-Star | 3.1 | 3.29 | 3-Star | 3.8 | 4.39 |
| 4-Star | 3.3 | 3.49 | 4-Star | 4.4 | 4.99 |
| 5-Star | 3.5 | 5-Star | 5.0 | ||
How to read the BEE Star Label?
As of date, the third amendment is in force. Therefore, let us now understand how to interpret the information provided in these tables.
The validity period includes all ACs manufactured or commercially purchased/sold during the period.
- All ACs manufactured/purchased between January 1, 2018, and June 30, 2022, will be dealt with according to the first table of the final amendment.
- From July 1, 2022, the star ratings of all ACs will change according to the second table of the final amendment.
For example, a split AC purchased in March 2022 with an ISEER value of 4.6 will have a 5-star rating. However, on July 01, 2022, the rating will automatically change to 4-star.
Related: AC Tonnage Calculator
What does ISEER indicate?
Consumers do not have to calculate the ISEER value. It is available on the BEE Star Label.
ISEER stands for Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.
ISEER = Total annual amount of heat equipment removed from the indoor air when operated for cooling in the active mode DIVIDED BY Total annual amount of energy consumed by the AC during the same period.
What do the stars on the BEE Star label indicate?
The higher the number of stars, the better is the appliance’s energy efficiency. So, a 5-star AC is more energy-efficient than a 4-star AC.
Related: AC Power Consumption Calculator
Other valuable information to the consumer
The brand name and model number are available on the BEE Star label. The label also includes the amount of electricity consumed by the AC. In addition, the label indicates whether the AC has a regular compressor or a variable-speed (inverter) compressor.
We shall take a small example to explain the BEE star label concept. We compare two ACs and study the BEE Star label.
| BEE Star Label Constituents | LG 1.5-Ton 5-Star AI Dual Inverter Split AC | Whirlpool 1.5-Ton 3-Star Split AC |
| Star Rating | 5-Star | 3-Star |
| ISEER | 4.73 | 3.55 |
| Validity | January 1, 2018, to June 30, 2022 | January 1, 2018, to June 30, 2022 |
| Appliance Type | RAC Split | RAC Split |
| Brand | LG | Whirlpool |
| Model/Year | PS-Q19YNZE 2021 | SAR18E30NC0 |
| Cooling Capacity 100% | 5000 Watts | 5080 Watts |
| Cooling Capacity 50% | 2500 Watts | NA |
| Electricity Consumption | 818.81 units/year | 1106.97 units/year |
| Compressor Type | Variable Speed | Single Speed |
| Heat Pump | No | No |
Related: Best Air Conditioners in India
Inference
- The LG unit is a 5-star AC, whereas the Whirlpool appliance is a 3-star model.
- The LG AC has a higher ISEER of 4.73 versus 3.55 of the Whirlpool model.
- Both the ACs are split ACs
- The LG AC consumes less electricity than the Whirlpool model.
- The LG AC works on an inverter compressor, whereas the Whirlpool AC has a conventional compressor.
Verdict – The LG AC is better than the Whirlpool model regarding energy efficiency and performance.