Dubai: Consumer products in the UAE will in the future have to carry performance ratings, besides the safety and quality ratings already in place, a top official said.
UAE Minster of Environment and Water Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd told Gulf News the performance ratings would rank the effectiveness or efficiency of products such as home appliances.
His comments came during the launch of a consumer awareness campaign by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) at Mirdif City Centre in Dubai on Monday.
The board of directors of Esma, an independent federal authority, is chaired by the minister of environment and water.
Esma already introduced mandatory Energy Efficiency Labels for products such as air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators.
“In the future, there will be performance ratings to make sure products are meeting standards. Government regulations to measure safety and energy efficiency are already in the market. We want to see, is the product doing what it’s supposed to do?” Bin Fahd said. He described the rating systems as a “long-running” campaign to “make consumers aware of appliances, because they are the end users. It is also to complement other regulations, such as green building codes.”
Bin Fahd said more categories of products will be included under the Esma ratings with time.
Esma Acting Director General Abdullah Al Maeeni added: “Our aim is to change the buying behaviour of consumers, so it’s not just based on design of the product or its price or looks, but based on safety, energy-savings and performance.”
It is understood the performance ratings could take the form of Esma stickers or labels on products, similar to those now required on a range of home appliances, which rank their energy efficiency on a five-star scale.
Al Maeeni said: “For example, if something is more expensive by Dh100 but it saves you Dh500 in the power bill a year because of energy-efficiency, your ‘profit’ is Dh400. It’s actually cheaper in that way.”
He added that similar ratings and controls will be introduced for cosmetics, perfumes, detergents and “repacked products” such as tissue boxes, among others.
“Are there really 150 tissues in that box as it says? Consumers don’t check – and can they be expected to check something like that? Such issues have to do with consumer rights and fair trade. We compliment other local government departments in our work for safety, quality and rights.”
