Refrigerators Prices Likely To Go Up In 2020

Industry body CEAMA said that new energy labelling norms, which will be effective from January next year, are expected to make manufacturing of five-star refrigerators costlier by up to Rs 6,000.

The new labelling guidelines will mandate the manufacturers to shift to vacuum panels from the traditional foams for cooling for the five-star range of refrigerators, as part of the table changes of the energy efficiency norms. The change will be challenging for the industry, said the Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) to PTI news agency.

The increase in manufacturing cost is likely to be passed on to the consumers.

The Star Rating label change for compressor-based products like room air conditioners (RAC) and refrigerators by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) would be effective from January 2020 and both frost free and direct cooling are changing to one star.

"The same product which is now available at some price would go up by at least Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 because we have to put a vacuum panel to get a 5 star refrigerator," said CEAMA President Kamal Nandi to PTI.