BEE Registration for Star Labelling
Air conditioners, refrigerators, LED lamps, ceiling fans and other notified appliances cannot be sold in India without a BEE star label. We register your company and brand on the Bureau of Energy Efficiency portal, file each model with its lab report and keep your label approvals in order.
What it is
BEE registration is how a manufacturer or importer gets permission to put the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s star label on an appliance. The label tells the buyer how much energy the product uses: more stars, lower running cost. Behind each label is a model approval based on a test report from an accredited laboratory.
The legal basis is Section 14 of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. Clause (a) lets the government set energy consumption standards. Clause (c) lets it prohibit the manufacture or import of notified appliances that fall short, and clause (d) lets it require the label. BEE runs this as its Standards & Labelling programme, and registrations and model approvals are filed online on its star label portal, beestarlabel.com.
Who it applies to
You make a mandatory appliance
If you manufacture an appliance on BEE’s mandatory list, every model you sell in India must carry the star label. There is no option to sell it unlabelled.
You import or own the brand
Importers selling under their own brand register just like manufacturers. If a contract manufacturer makes your product, we check in whose name the models should be filed.
You want stars on a voluntary product
For appliances on the voluntary list, the label is a choice. Brands take it when they want a tested efficiency rating to show buyers.
Why it matters
You can legally sell
For a mandatory appliance, the label is a condition of sale. Without an approved model, the product has no lawful route to the Indian market.
Buyers compare stars
The star rating sits on the box and on online listings. A higher rating is something you can prove.
You avoid heavy penalties
Section 26 of the Energy Conservation Act allows a penalty of up to ₹10 lakh for each failure, plus up to ₹10,000 for every day the failure continues.
Mandatory and voluntary appliances
| Mandatory examples | Voluntary examples |
|---|---|
| Room air conditioners (fixed and variable speed) | Microwave ovens |
| Frost-free and direct-cool refrigerators | Computers |
| Colour televisions | Solar water heaters |
| Electric water heaters | Air compressors |
| Tubular fluorescent lamps and LED lamps | Li-ion batteries |
| Distribution transformers and ceiling fans | Other equipment BEE adds by notification |
BEE’s site currently counts 38 appliances under the programme, and items move from the voluntary to the mandatory list by notification. So before you launch a product, check its present status on the BEE portal. A product that is voluntary today can become mandatory with a fixed start date.
Here is how that plays out. Take a small ceiling fan maker in Faridabad that sold unlabelled fans for years. Once ceiling fans were made mandatory, every model needed a test report and an approved label before the next batch left the factory. A unit that starts testing early keeps shipping. One that waits for the deadline risks a gap in sales.
Documents required
Show who is filing
- Certificate of incorporation or other registration
- PAN and GST registration
- Import Export Code, if you import
- Authorisation letter for the person filing
Prove the brand is yours
- Trademark certificate or pending application
- Brand authorisation, if the brand belongs to someone else
- Contract manufacturing agreement, where relevant
Back each model with data
- Test report from a NABL-accredited laboratory
- Technical specifications of each model
- Draft label as per BEE’s format
How it works
Pin down the product’s status
We confirm whether your appliance is mandatory or voluntary and which BEE schedule and rating table applies to it. Say a Delhi trader plans to import LED lamps under a new brand: LED lamps are mandatory, so testing and approval come before the first container is booked.
Get the model tested
Samples go to a NABL-accredited laboratory, which tests energy performance under the relevant standard. We help you pick the lab and track the report; the testing is the lab’s job.
Register the company and brand
We create your account on the BEE star label portal, upload company and brand documents and pay the registration fee online.
Apply for model approval
Each model is filed with its test report and specifications. We answer BEE’s queries until the model is approved and its star rating is fixed.
Print labels and stay compliant
You print and fix labels in BEE’s format and pay labelling fees as required. BEE picks products from the market for check testing, so the labelled performance must hold up.
Timelines
Approve the model before the first sale
A mandatory appliance needs an approved model before it reaches dealers or online stores. In practice, book the lab before you lock the launch date.
Re-rate when the table changes
BEE revises the star rating bands for appliances from time to time. When it does, existing models are re-rated against the new table from the date notified.
Label everything by the mandatory date
A voluntary appliance becomes mandatory from the date fixed in the notification. Unlabelled stock cannot be sold after that date.
What happens if you sell without a label
Penalty up to ₹10 lakh
Section 26(1) of the Energy Conservation Act allows a penalty of up to ₹10 lakh for each failure to comply with Section 14 directions.
₹10,000 a day on top
If the failure continues, an extra penalty of up to ₹10,000 can be levied for each day it goes on.
Each model counts separately
The penalty applies to each failure. A brand with several unlabelled models faces a separate exposure for each one.
Frequently asked questions
Is a BEE star label compulsory for every appliance?
No, only for appliances on BEE’s mandatory list. These include room air conditioners, frost-free and direct-cool refrigerators, colour televisions, electric water heaters, tubular fluorescent lamps, LED lamps, distribution transformers and ceiling fans. Others, such as microwave ovens and air compressors, are voluntary. The list changes by notification, so we check the current status for your product before you spend on testing.
Which law makes the star label mandatory?
Section 14 of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. It lets the Central Government set energy consumption standards, prohibit the manufacture or import of notified appliances that do not meet them, and direct that particulars be displayed on a label. BEE runs the scheme through notifications for each appliance. Once a product is notified as mandatory, the label becomes part of the right to sell it.
Can an importer apply for BEE registration?
Yes. An importer who sells under its own brand registers on the BEE star label portal just as a manufacturer does, and files each model with a test report. Since Section 14(c) covers import as well as manufacture, a mandatory appliance must meet the standard before it is brought in for sale. An Import Export Code and GST registration help keep the paperwork consistent.
Where does the product have to be tested?
At a laboratory accredited by NABL for the relevant test. The lab tests the model’s energy performance under the applicable standard and issues the report that supports your application. BEE also runs check testing, picking labelled products from the market to confirm they match their rating. A sound test report from the start keeps both the approval and later check tests smooth.
Does Taxhint test products?
No. Testing is done only by accredited laboratories, and BEE decides on approval. Our role is the regulatory side: checking your product’s status, preparing company and brand documents, registering you on the BEE portal, filing model applications, answering BEE’s queries and keeping track of rating changes. You get one point of contact for the paperwork while the lab handles the testing.
What is the penalty for selling a mandatory appliance without a label?
Up to ₹10 lakh for each failure under Section 26(1) of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. If the failure continues, a further penalty of up to ₹10,000 per day can apply. The penalty attaches to each failure, so several unlabelled models can mean several penalties. Registering before launch avoids the whole question and lets you sell openly.
Do I need a new approval for every model?
Yes, the star label is approved model by model. Each model needs its own test report and application, because energy performance differs between capacities and designs. A brand selling a 1-ton and a 1.5-ton split AC files two models. We list your models before testing starts, so no model reaches the market without its approval.
What happens when BEE changes the star rating table?
Your existing models are re-rated against the new table from the date BEE notifies. A product that was 5-star under the old table may drop a star under the new one, and the label must change to match. We watch BEE’s notifications and flag a revision as soon as it is announced, so relabelling or retesting is planned before the new table applies.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
BEE charges a registration fee and labelling fees, paid on the star label portal; the amount depends on your appliance category. The lab bills its testing charges directly to you.
Ready to begin?
Tell us the appliance, the brand and the models, and we will map your BEE registration from lab test to approved label.