SINGAPORE - Refrigerators, clothes dryers and air-conditioners will need to meet stricter minimum energy performance standards from next year, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a statement on Tuesday (June 8).
The new minimum standards for casement and window air-conditioners, clothes dryers and refrigerators will be two ticks on the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (Mels), up from the current one tick.
Meanwhile, split-type air-conditioners, whose performance standards were raised to two ticks in 2016, will now have to be 7 per cent more efficient to qualify for two ticks.
For instance, split-type air-conditioners with inverters now have to reach at least 4.04 in weighted coefficient of performance, a measure of energy efficiency, to qualify. This is up from 3.78 currently.
"The Minimum Energy Performance Standards (Meps) for regulated goods are regularly reviewed and adjusted to keep up with technological improvements," said the agency, in response to queries from The Straits Times.
"By raising Meps for split air-conditioners by 7 per cent within the two-tick level, and raising Meps to two ticks for refrigerators and clothes dryers, NEA will ensure that there are still sufficient models and variety in the market to cater to all consumers."
Under the labelling scheme, labels that indicate the energy efficiency of the appliance may be found on major home appliances.
More energy-saving appliances receive more ticks, up to a maximum of five for air-conditioners and dryers, and four for refrigerators, said the NEA.
Additionally, the limits for standby power of split-type air-conditioners will also be lowered to reduce passive energy consumption.
The changes are estimated to save households in Singapore $1.2 million annually, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2,000 tonnes due to using less electricity.
The agency added that the average energy efficiency of household refrigerators has improved by 46 per cent, that of air-conditioners by 42 per cent, and that of clothes dryers by 14 per cent since the Mels and minimum standards were introduced in 2008.
