Services: Electrical testing and certification, environmental or chemical testing

language
- English
- 中文

400-9269-886

NEWS CENTER

Industry News

Company News

Knowledge

The East African Community (EAC) has officially adopted energy efficiency standards for household air conditioning and refrigeration appliances

Time：

2025-11-17

The East African Community (EAC) has officially released the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEPS) and energy efficiency labeling requirements for household and similar air conditioning and refrigeration appliances.

This milestone decision was approved by the Standards Management Committee (SMC) of the East African Standards Committee (EASC) on March 26, 2025, and officially announced by the Council of Ministers of the East African Community on October 2, 2025. This move marks a crucial step forward in promoting energy efficiency and sustainable cooling in the East African region.

01. Applicable countries for standards

This historic achievement was achieved through a rigorous regional coordination process involving six East African Community member countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The formulation of standards follows the principles and procedures of East African Community standard formulation and coordination, and is promoted through national consultations and regional coordination meetings under the guidance of the East African Standards Committee. The adoption of new standards strengthens cooperation in sustainable energy policies within the region and demonstrates the joint commitment of member states to energy-efficient and climate friendly refrigeration solutions.

02. Standard applicable products

The newly adopted minimum energy efficiency standards are numbered EAS 1213:2025 (Household and Similar Air Conditioning Equipment - Minimum Energy Efficiency Requirements) and EAS 1214:2025 (Household and Similar Refrigeration Equipment - Minimum Energy Efficiency Requirements).

The new standard covers a wide range of refrigeration product types. For refrigeration equipment, the standard applies to AC single-phase and three-phase vapor compression refrigerators, refrigerator freezer combinations, and freezers with rated capacities between 10 and 1500 liters, and stipulates that the global warming potential (GWP) of the refrigerant must not exceed 20 and the ozone depletion potential (ODP) must be zero.

03. Standard implementation stage

The implementation of standards will be carried out in two stages:

Starting from 2025, the first phase will introduce relatively relaxed requirements;

The second phase will implement stricter performance requirements starting from 2027.

Compared to inefficient products, the energy efficiency of indoor air conditioning and household refrigeration equipment can be improved by up to 60%. However, due to inadequate implementation of standards, the region remains a dumping ground for inefficient products. Therefore, the new standard will be accompanied by a transition period after its adoption, allowing East African Community member states to smoothly transition to energy-efficient refrigeration equipment and air conditioning. At the same time, the energy efficiency policies, regional compliance frameworks, and energy efficiency labels being developed by the East African Community will play a key role in supporting the implementation of minimum energy efficiency standards for lighting and cooling equipment.

04. Significance of Standard Implementation

The approval of coordinated minimum energy efficiency standards represents a transformative step in East Africa's energy transition. By establishing clear and enforceable energy efficiency thresholds, East African Community countries are expected to reduce electricity demand, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, protect consumers from inefficient products, and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

Jiayu Testing, as a professional third-party testing and certification service organization, has qualifications such as CMA, CNAS, CBTL, and has obtained laboratory accreditation from multiple authoritative certification agencies at home and abroad. It is equipped with advanced instruments and equipment, has a skilled professional technical team, rich industry service experience, and strong testing technology capabilities. It is proficient in various regulatory standards and specializes in commercial/household air conditioners, dehumidifiers, heat pumps, refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and other products. It provides 3C, GS, ETL certification, as well as multi country energy efficiency certification services such as China, the United States DOE/CEC, and the European Union ERP to ensure that products meet relevant regulatory requirements. If your product requires safety and energy efficiency certification, please feel free to contact us at 400-9269-886!