BEE Star Ratings Explained: How to Pick Energy-Efficient Appliances

The coloured star label on an Indian air conditioner, refrigerator or ceiling fan is one of the most useful pieces of information in the showroom, and one of the most misread. BEE star ratings compare how efficiently similar appliances use electricity, which translates directly into your monthly bill. This guide explains how the scheme works, what each part of the label means, why a 5-star model from one year may not match a 5-star model from another, and how to check a label before you buy.

What the BEE star label is

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, under the Ministry of Power, runs India's Standards and Labelling (S&L) programme, which was launched in 2006 under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 (Drishti IAS summary, 2026). BEE's own consumer page explains the purpose simply: star rating schemes let you compare the operating cost and environmental performance of similar products (BEE Star Label, consumer page).

According to BEE's impact report for 2022-23, the programme began with voluntary labels for refrigerators and tubular fluorescent lamps. Labels became mandatory in January 2009 for room air conditioners, tubular fluorescent lamps, frost-free refrigerators and distribution transformers, and products are rated from 1 to 5 stars in ascending order of efficiency (BEE, Impact of Energy Efficiency Measures for FY 2022-23). BEE's website dashboard for 2025 reports 38 appliances covered, 3,662 brands registered, 58 crore star-labelled appliances produced, and savings of 89.80 billion units of electricity attributed to the programme (BEE, Standards & Labelling).

Mandatory and voluntary labels

For some appliances, a star label is compulsory: a product cannot be sold without one. For others, labelling is voluntary, so an unlabelled product is not necessarily inefficient, but a labelled one gives you something to compare. BEE's impact report lists the position as of 31 March 2023, when the programme covered 34 appliances, 14 of them mandatory (source).

The same report notes that ceiling fans, light commercial ACs, deep freezers and UHD TVs moved from voluntary to mandatory from 1 July 2022. The list keeps changing. For example, domestic LPG stoves moved to mandatory labelling from 1 January 2026, rated on thermal efficiency, with the burner that has the lowest efficiency setting the star rating (UL, Global Market Access Regulatory Newsletter Q3 2025). BEE's site now counts 38 appliances in total, so check its current list before relying on the table above.

How to read the label

BEE's training material for retailers lists what a star label tells you: the star rating, an efficiency parameter, brand and model details, technical parameters, the applicable dates of the standard and the year of manufacture (BEE, Know your Star Label & Make a Right Choice). Each part answers a different question.

The stars

More stars means more efficient compared with similar products. The key word is similar: a refrigerator's stars are measured against others of comparable size, and an AC's against others of the same type and capacity. A bigger appliance with more stars can still use more electricity than a smaller one with fewer.

The efficiency number

This is the figure to compare between shortlisted models, because two models with the same stars can differ within that band. BEE's material notes that for most appliances lower electricity consumption means higher savings, while for some, such as ACs, an efficiency ratio is shown, where higher is better (source).

The label period and year

BEE explains that the label period is the period for which a standard applies, and that standards are revised over time (source). This matters more than most buyers realise, as the next section shows.

Why a 5-star rating is a moving target

BEE's impact report says energy performance standards are updated every two to three years, so that inefficient products are steadily replaced by better ones. Its example: a 5-star air conditioner in 2009 had an ISEER of 3.5, while at the time of the report a 5-star room AC needed an ISEER of 4.5 or higher (source).

The most recent revision for room ACs and refrigerators took effect on 1 January 2026. Business Today reported that, under the revised norms, a 5-star AC rated in 2025 corresponds to a 4-star rating, a 4-star to 3-star, and so on, with manufacturers expecting price increases of around 5 to 10 per cent (Business Today, December 2025).

Stars tell you how a product compares with its peers under one rulebook. The label period tells you which rulebook it was.

In practice:

• If you see older stock at a discount, check the label period. A 5-star model under an older table may be less efficient than a 5-star model labelled under the current one.
• When comparing two models, compare the efficiency number (ISEER or annual consumption) as well as the stars. It is a measured figure rather than a band, though check that both models were tested under the same standard.
• For BEE's current star bands, check the schedule for that appliance on BEE's website rather than relying on older articles.

Turning the label into rupees

The annual energy consumption on a label is measured under standard test conditions, so real use will differ, but it is a fair way to compare models. A simple worked illustration: if one refrigerator's label shows 250 units a year and another's shows 190, the difference is 60 units. At an illustrative tariff of ₹7 per unit, that is about ₹420 a year, or roughly ₹4,200 over ten years before any tariff increases. Your own tariff depends on your state's electricity distribution company and your slab, so use the rate on your bill.

For ceiling fans, BEE's retailer material gives a worked example using service value, which is air delivery divided by power. A fan delivering 220 cubic metres of air per minute at the then base-level service value of 3.2 draws about 69 watts, while a 5-star fan at a service value of 4.0 draws about 55 watts; run for 12 hours a day on 300 days, that saves around 51 units a year (source). The rating table in that material is older than the current one, but the method is the same. Because fans run for many hours in Indian homes, the savings across several fans add up.

A buying checklist

1. Size the appliance first. BEE's consumer advice is to know your requirement, check your usage and pick the right size before choosing an efficient model (BEE Star Label). An oversized AC or refrigerator wastes energy whatever its stars.
2. Shortlist by stars, decide by the number. Compare ISEER or annual consumption between models of the same size.
3. Check the label period and year of manufacture. Prefer labels issued under the current table.
4. Weigh price against running cost. A higher-rated model often costs more upfront; it pays back faster if you use it heavily, such as an AC in a hot city or a fan running most of the day.
5. Verify the label. BEE's guidance is to use the Search and Compare feature on beestarlabel.com, choose the equipment type and check the model's specifications, or to use the BEE star label mobile app.
6. Use it efficiently. BEE's material suggests setting AC room temperature between 25°C and 27°C, avoiding opening the refrigerator door unnecessarily (which it says can raise consumption by 7%) and cleaning the condenser coil (about 5%) (source).

Efficient appliances are the foundation of a lower-energy home; smart controls come second. If you are planning automations around them, our guides to designing an eco-friendly smart home ecosystem and the Matter smart home standard explain how newer appliances can share energy data with the rest of your home.

The bottom line

BEE star ratings are a reliable shortcut for comparing similar appliances, but stars alone are not enough. Pick the right size first, then compare the efficiency number on the label (annual energy consumption for refrigerators, ISEER for ACs, service value for fans), check the label period so you are comparing like with like, and verify the model on BEE's star label website or app. Convert the difference in units into rupees using your own tariff to see whether a higher-rated model is worth its price for the way you use it.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 5-star appliance always better than a 3-star one?

Among products of the same type and size labelled under the same table, yes, it uses less electricity. A 5-star model of a larger size, or one labelled under an older table, may not use less than a 3-star model you are comparing it with.

What is ISEER on an AC label?

ISEER is the Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, the efficiency figure BEE uses for room air conditioners. A higher ISEER means more cooling for each unit of electricity across a typical cooling season.

Why did my AC's star rating seem to change in 2026?

BEE revised the rating tables for room ACs and refrigerators from 1 January 2026. A model rated 5 stars under the 2025 table corresponds to a lower rating under the new one, so check the label period when comparing.

How do I check whether a BEE label is genuine?

Search for the brand and model on beestarlabel.com using Search and Compare, or use BEE's star label mobile app, and check that the figures match the label.

Do washing machines have BEE star labels?

Washing machines were listed under voluntary labelling as of March 2023, so some models carry a label and others do not. Check BEE's current list, as appliances move from voluntary to mandatory over time.

Sources

1. Standards & Labeling, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, accessed 2026.
2. Impact of Energy Efficiency Measures for the Year 2022-23, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, 2024.
3. BEE Star Label: Consumer, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, accessed 2026.
4. Know your Star Label & Make a Right Choice (National Retailer Training Programme, Session 2), Bureau of Energy Efficiency, accessed 2026.
5. Global Market Access Regulatory Newsletter Q3 2025, UL Solutions, 2025.
6. 5-star ACs, refrigerators to get costlier from January 2026; here's why, Business Today, 2025.
7. BEE Standards and Labelling Programme, Drishti IAS, 2026.