EPRA launches cost-saving 'energy label' campaign

 

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), in collaboration with CLASP, has launched a four-month digital campaign dubbed #KenyaEnergyLabel.

The campaign runs from October 2020 to January 2021 and aims to educate consumers on the utility and the cost-saving benefits of the new energy label.

Kenya introduced its first energy label in 2019 after an extensive year-long market research by EPRA and CLASP.

The research was done to inform the design of a campaign that would empower consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and drive them towards high-efficiency products.

The Energy Label scheme currently covers refrigerators, air conditioners and motors and will soon include other appliances like lighting.

"The campaign is vital due to a rapid growth in the domestic appliance market in Kenya as a result of rising income, availability of improved and efficient refrigerator units, and increased electrification of rural areas," the Director General Robert Oimeke said in a statement released on Monday.

Energy labelling is a critical component of national market transformation efforts.

Labels enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions by differentiating high efficiency products from average and low efficiency choices.

Labelling also helps consumers make decisions based on the lifecycle costs of appliances.

Manufacturers of appliances under the labelling program are required to display the label for all products sold on the Kenyan market.

The key campaign message - More Stars, More Savings - speaks to the five-star guide that demonstrates how much energy, and purchasing appliances with higher star-ratings can save expenditures on energy.

Consumers are encouraged to review the detailed User Manual hosted on the EPRA website to understand label components.