BEE's new star ratings to push AC prices up 10 pc, refrigerators by 5 pc from Jan
New Delhi (PTI): Prices of cooling appliances such as room air conditioners and refrigerators may go up 5-10 per cent from January 1, 2026, as the new revised star rating from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) comes into force.
This hike, which will be applicable from January 1, 2026, will almost offset the price advantage which the consumers have got from the GST reforms in September this year on room air-conditioners (RAC), where duty was slashed 10 per cent.
Besides the fall of the Indian rupee against the US dollar and global increase of copper prices is also putting pressure on manufacturers' margins.
Despite this, leading manufacturers such as Voltas, Daikin, Blue Star, and Godrej Appliances are unfazed and expect this to help to keep the carbon footprints lower.
The new 5-star AC under the new revised BEE norms is 10 per cent more energy efficient; however, it will also increase the prices by around 10 per cent, said Blue Star Managing Director B Thiagarajan.
"New 5-star is a new product itself, which in today's context, will be equivalent to 6 or 7-star. That new product, which will be introduced, has a price difference of around 10 per cent," he said.
After January 1, 2026, a 5-star of 2025 rating will be downgraded as 4-star. Similarly, a current 4-star as a 3-star and a current 3-star will be 2 star, with a price difference of 5 per cent.
Expressing a similar opinion, Godrej Enterprises Group Business Head & EVP at Appliances Business Kamal Nandi said the durables industry is getting affected by currency depreciation as well as adverse commodity costs and scheduled energy regime changeover from January, which cumulatively will lead to a significant cost increase in cooling categories, with RACs being most impacted.
"In the immediate context, energy regime changeover-linked price hike to the tune of 5-7 per cent for ACs and 3-5 per cent for refrigerators looks likely," said Nandi.
Voltas Senior Business Leader Jayant Balan said India's cooling industry is entering a transformative phase with the upcoming BEE star rating revision effective January 2026.
"These policy shifts are accelerating demand, as trade partners and consumers move early to secure current pricing and mitigate the average expected increase of 7-8 per cent on new inventory, noting that actual changes may differ based on specifications and product categories," he said.
Balan added that consumer behaviour is evolving rapidly in this environment.
Daikin Airconditioning India Chairman and Managing Director Kanwaljeet Jawa said from 2012 to 2024, this is the fifth time that energy labelling standards are going up.
"This industry has been supportive to the government for energy efficiency, which is a big challenge for the country. So, ever since they have taken this into sunrise, we all have been very supportive of these movements," he said.
The AC industry got GST benefits and had also seen an increase in sales. However, the industry is also committed towards sustainability as when the demand goes up, it is also required to balance the energy efficiency.
"Prices will definitely go up, not only because the BEE labelling standards are going up, but copper also has gone up, the raw material cost has been going up, the dollar against the rupee has depreciated," he said.
Asked whether the RAC prices will return to pre-GST reforms time, Jawa said, "It will be around that".
Besides, BEE has also made star-labelling mandatory on a host of appliances, including televisions, LPG gas stoves, cooling towers, and chillers from January 1. This will help customers make an informed choice and ensure standardisation.
It has put energy efficiency norms for air-conditioners stricter, with new requirements to achieve the highest 5-star rating. To meet the new norms, manufacturers are using more expensive components to meet the higher standards, leading to a price increase.
This also means 5-star rated RAC in 2025 are now rated lower as 4-star under the new system.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
