Ever got confused about the difference between 1 star, 2 star, and 3 star products? Don’t worry; we’re here to tell you everything about star ratings.
You must understand the significance of an appliance’s energy star rating. You shouldn’t go shopping for electrical appliances until you’ve figured out what you’ll use them for and how much money you can save on your electricity bills.
What Is Star Rating in Electronics and Appliances?
In India, the star rating is a marking that shows how energy efficient certain household equipment is. The rating, which may be anywhere from one to five stars, is based on criteria established by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). The higher the number of stars a product has, the more efficient it is in energy use. For example, you can find the BEE Energy Rating mark on various household goods, such as fridges, coolers, household appliances, and heaters.
Consumers can more easily evaluate the energy efficiency of various models and make an educated choice on which home appliance to buy due to the label. The BEE Energy Rating helps customers save money on their monthly energy bills and contributes to the general reduction in the electricity demand in India.
The number of stars awarded to various home appliances, ranging from one to five, indicates how energy efficient the device is. An improved and more energy-efficient appliance will always have a higher rating. For example, the cost of a 4-star or 5-star model of the same appliance may be twice as high as that of a 3-star or 2-star model of the same appliance.
This markup in initial pricing often clears the customers’ doubts. As a result, they invest in less efficient models to save money.
More Is Better
Given that the appliances with higher energy ratings are so effective at conserving energy, you may save more than half of your money via reduced power costs. So, for example, suppose you utilize two different home appliances that are otherwise identical, the only exception being the energy rating. In that case, you can anticipate considerable cost savings throughout their combined usage.
In addition to having an exceptionally long lifespan and being durable, these devices have a high energy rating. It is easy to decide when looking for new home appliances. Therefore, always invest in superior models with higher energy ratings.
By the way, the EnergyGuide label on devices in the United States is comparable to the BEE Energy Rating. The BEE Energy Rating was developed to assist customers in reducing their overall energy use and lowering their monthly utility bills.
The rating label will provide information on the device’s energy usage, performance, and running cost. In addition, the label compares the appliance’s energy consumption to that of other models within the same category. Due to the BEE Energy Rating, it is much simpler for customers to choose home equipment, helping them spend less money on their monthly power bills. Watch the BEE Energy Rating label whenever you are in the market for new home equipment.
Here’s How the Star Ratings Work
- BEE obtains most of the information it uses directly from the manufacturers of electrical appliances. Before releasing a new product to the public, manufacturers send samples to labs that have passed rigorous quality assurance testing and are recognized by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.
- A higher number of stars on the BEE label signifies a more energy-efficient appliance, which means lower monthly costs. Air conditioners and geysers, for example, use a lot of energy. Therefore, getting a model with a high energy star rating is important.
- In addition to the rating, the label will also include the year it was published. Since the BEE is often tweaking the requirements for rating products, it’s best to have a newer model.
- Even within a single appliance’s rating system, wide variations can exist. It’s easy to tell the difference between a window unit and a split AC just by looking at the name. A five-star window air conditioner may use more energy than a four-star split AC.
- The annual energy consumption is also there on the label, so the buyer has a good idea of what they can expect to spend.
- The rating is also useful for determining whether or not an investment will provide a profit. However, consumers should know that the most cutting-edge energy-saving technology is often only for high-priced home electronics. Thus, searching for an affordable product with the greatest possible rating within such conditions is good.
- Appliances like ceiling fans don’t have to carry the rating since they aren’t required to be used in a certain way.
Does Star Rating Matter?
Yes, it does.
When you shop for new appliances, paying attention to the energy rating of each unit is an important factor to keep in mind. They provide you with a lot of information about the appliance’s ability to save you money on energy. Moreover, they also provide you with an explanation as to how efficient the appliance truly is.
Most of the time, an appliance with a higher energy rating will also likely be very effective and durable. However, the initial price customers have to pay for these special home appliances is higher.
Therefore, if you are in the market for a new appliance, make it a point to check the energy rating provided before making a purchase.
How to Make Better Buying Decisions Using the Star Rating?
Let’s take an example of ACs.
The greater the number of stars, the greater the cooling capacity.
An air conditioner with 5 stars is rated far higher in performance than one with 3 stars. It also runs at an ideal level while using less energy. In addition, it has a low impact on the environment and cools the air in the room quicker than a three-star air conditioner.
A better rating means greater savings.
When you go up the ratings, you’ll see that you’ll save more and more energy as you go. Compared to an air conditioner with three stars, one with five stars can reduce energy consumption by up to 28 percent on average.
It is possible to determine the entire quantity of heat that the air conditioner removes by comparing it to the total amount of energy it uses to accomplish that activity. If something has a higher grade, it operates more effectively.
The higher the rating, the greater the power
An AC with a higher rating has a greater amount of power. Additionally, it cools more efficiently and consistently. Even though it has a lot of power, it doesn’t make too much noise.
Also, if you are looking for the What Is Convertible AC? specifically, check out our guide!
How Are 1 Star, 2 Star, and 3 Star Products Different?
The following are some of the key distinctions between an air conditioner with 5 stars and one with 3 stars:
- The cooling capacity and power efficiency of an air conditioner with 3 stars is superior to that of an air conditioner with 1 or 2-star ratings.
- Compared to air conditioners rated at 1 or 2 stars, air conditioners rated at 3 stars have a lower energy consumption. This means that users can save money on their monthly power costs.
- Compared to ACs with just 1 or 2 ratings, those with 3 stars have stronger construction.
- 3-star air conditioners generally feature a larger condenser than 1 or two-star air conditioners, ultimately resulting in improved heat exchange.
- ACs rated at 3 stars generate much less heat than ACs rated at 1 or 2.
- You can use air conditioners that have received 3 stars throughout the year.
- Air conditioners that have received higher ratings are better since they cool the room more quickly.
Is It Worth Spending on a 5-Star Split AC Over a 3-Star One in Terms of Power Bill?
Absolutely, a 5-star AC is more energy efficient than a 3-star AC. It utilizes less electricity.
If there is no significant price gap between the two models, purchasing a five-star air conditioner is preferable since it will save you the most money overall in the long run, despite a savings of Rs. 1,000 per year is a sizeable amount. But if the difference is too large, say Rs. 10,000 or more, it will take longer to recover the additional investment cost.
Please bear in mind the EER of the air conditioner since this falls within a certain range and is the true measure of how efficient the unit is. If we had to choose between 3.0 and 3.5 EER, we would go with the higher value.
If you live in a region that is often hot and humid, you will likely make more use of an air conditioner. In such a situation, you should invest in an air conditioner with 5 stars since it will chill the space more quickly and reduce your energy expenditures.
However, suppose you reside in an area with a more moderate climate and want air conditioning only during the warmer months. In that case, you may want to look into a model with only three stars. It is a less expensive solution and functions best in climates with lower humidity levels.
Suppose you don’t care about the neighborhood. In that case, a five-star air conditioning unit is better than a three-star one for several reasons.
Which Factors Affect Power Consumption?
Various factors impact the consumption of electricity from AC, some of which are:
- The use of electricity by an air conditioner is proportional to the number of occupants in a room. For instance, a room with 20-25 people would need many air conditioners, but a room with 3-5 people only requires a single air conditioner to chill the space adequately.
- Having an air conditioner with a rating of 5 stars helps save energy, whereas having a rating of 1 or 2 stars indicates a larger usage of AC power.
- The power needed to run the air conditioner is impacted by the temperature outside and within the room. When the temperature outside is higher than 35 degrees, the air conditioner will use more power to bring the inside down to that temperature.
- The amount of electricity required to power an air conditioner depends on the type of air conditioners, such as a window AC, an inverter AC, a split AC, or a central AC.
- When it comes to the amount of electricity used by the air conditioner, the room’s dimensions are a significant factor. The more space there is in the room, the more electricity the air conditioning will need to run. Similarly, less power is required to run an air conditioner in a smaller space.
Final Words – Difference Between 1 Star, 2 Star, and 3 Star Products
When shopping for an electrical appliance, it is crucial to seek a rating of at least three stars for energy efficiency. However, this is not the only factor you should consider. For example, even two-star appliances are equipped with this function when discussing modes that save electricity. The amount of electricity each appliance uses is the only point of differentiation between them.
An appliance with three stars will use 30–35% less electricity than a model with two stars. Even an appliance with just two stars would save you roughly 18-20% more electricity than an older one without an inverter.
But in terms of its power, there is no difference between a 2-star and an appliance rated at just one star. So if you can only choose between a two-star and a three-star refrigerator, you should go for the three-star model unless you cannot afford it.
If we had to choose between 3-star and 5-star, we would always go for the 5-star.
