To provide consumers with relevant information on the energy efficiency of common household appliances, and to stop Ghana from becoming a dumping ground for inefficient appliances, the Energy Foundation has in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Board and with financial assistance from the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) been developing an Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards and Labelling programme.

Under this initiative which began in 1998, only air conditioners that meet a minimum energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 2.8 watts of cooling per watt of electricity input, and compact fluorescent lamps that have a minimum service life of 6,000 hours and minimum efficacy of 33 lumens per watt will be allowed in the country.

The appliances will also be affixed with efficiency labels that would provide consumers with information on the product. Labels on air conditioners will carry information on model, manufacturer, and estimated annual energy consumption. The CFL label will have information on the lamp's wattage, average rated life in hours, and an estimate of the lamp's energy consumption for a year.

With this information consumers will be able to make informed purchase decisions and avoid substandard and energy inefficient products. To ensure a successful implementation, the Foundation and the Ghana Standards Board have involved key sector stakeholders in the initiative. The Foundation organized a stakeholder workshop in October 2004 to brief major appliance importers on the programme, and to solicit their input on implementation issues. The Minister of State for Economic Planning, Dr. Nii Noi Ashong, chaired the well attended event.

The British High Commission and the Ministry of Energy are funding a public education campaign to publicize and educate the public on the standards programme.

Label for Room Air Conditioners

Label for Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)

Remember
The more stars on the Label the more energy efficient the product. Always look for the Efficiency Label. If a product is not labelled, it is probably not good. Ghanaian consumers now have the information to make a well informed and energy efficient decision when buying Air Conditioners and Compact Flourescent Lamps. The labelling programme is voluntary from Nov 2005, and becomes mandatory from Nov 2006.