Which products need a BEE star label? The full 2026 mandatory and voluntary lists, with fees and validity

The BEE (Appliance Labeling and Compliance) Regulations, 2026 came into force on 1 January 2026 and replaced the separate regulations for each appliance^[2]. They contain two lists:

• Schedule A, mandatory. Every company that makes, sells or imports a Schedule A appliance must register with BEE^[2], and every unit must carry the star label^[1].
• Schedule B, voluntary. You may label these appliances. If you do, you need BEE's written permission, as for mandatory ones^[2]. Registration for voluntary appliances is not compulsory^[6].

Products on neither list need no BEE label. Earphones, power banks, chargers, smartwatches, phones and routers are not on either list^[7].

Schedule A of the 2026 Regulations, with the label fee for each item^[1]. Star table validity is from the latest BEE advisory or notification we found.

Induction hobs. BEE's portal lists 18 mandatory categories, the last being induction hobs marked "w.e.f. 1st January, 2027". Until then induction hobs also remain on the voluntary list^[3]. In Schedule B the induction hob label fee is Rs 5 per piece^[1]. Importers of induction cooktops should register before January 2027. Regulation 8 gives a six-month window for labels when an appliance moves from voluntary to mandatory^[1], but check BEE's induction hob notification for the exact date that applies.

The portal's mandatory list, in its own order, is: frost-free refrigerators, storage water heaters, colour TVs, washing machines, variable speed ACs, LED lamps, chillers, light commercial ACs, deep freezers, UHD TVs, fixed speed ACs, cassette/floor/ceiling/corner ACs, grid-connected solar inverters, distribution transformers, direct cool refrigerators, ceiling fans, LPG stoves and induction hobs, with tubular fluorescent lamps listed separately^[3].

Schedule B of the 2026 Regulations, with label fees^[1]. The portal shows 23 voluntary entries with their schedule numbers^[4].

Several products importers often ask about need no BEE label at all. Neither Schedule A nor Schedule B of the 2026 Regulations lists electric irons, mixer grinders, electric kettles, room heaters or water purifiers^[19]. LED luminaires are not listed either; the only LED lighting item is self-ballasted LED lamps^[20]. The mandatory list also leaves out laptops, UPS and inverters, set-top boxes, chargers and batteries^[21].

No BEE label does not mean no approval. The household electrical appliances QCO covers household, commercial and similar appliances up to 250 V single-phase^[22], which is why electric irons, mixer grinders, electric kettles and room heaters each have a BIS section on their product pages. LED luminaires^[23] and set-top boxes^[23] are on the CRS list. Water purifiers have their own page. Use the approval checker to see the full set for any product.

Most of them. The BEE label covers energy performance; BIS covers safety. An importer of a TV or an LED lamp needs both the BEE permission and a BIS CRS registration, and an AC importer needs BEE plus a BIS ISI licence.

Every appliance's star bands are set by a Central Government notification under section 14(a) of the Energy Conservation Act, and the star level on the label is based on that notification^[1]. The label series printed on the label is the validity period of the energy standard^[1].

What happens when a table ends:

1. Production under the old standard must stop. Regulation 8 says so once revised standards take effect^[1].
2. Existing models are converted. BEE opens a "continuation" or "degradation" link, and permittees re-declare each model under the new table, often at a lower star level. The 2025 refrigerator, fan and AC conversions closed on 28 December 2025^[25].
3. Self-declaration within 60 days. If standards change during a permission, the permittee must confirm compliance within 60 days of the notification or before the label series ends^[1].
4. No renewal fee is payable when star ratings are revised^[2]. In 2025 BEE charged Rs 1,000 per model for continuation and Rs 2,000 for new models, but those advisories predate the 2026 Regulations^[26].

A model permission lasts three years^[2], but in practice it ends when the star table it was rated on ends.

On the front of the appliance for most large products, and on every unit at the point of sale. For refrigerators, water heaters, TVs, washing machines and room ACs, Schedule C requires a self-adhesive label firmly fixed on the front of each appliance; it may also be printed or pasted on the box^[1]. Ceiling fans are different: the label goes on the top view of each fan, as well as on the packaging^[1].

Three further rules catch importers out. The label must show the brand, model, energy performance parameter, label series, rated capacity, star level and country of origin^[2]. It must carry a QR code with the label particulars and appear on every unit, online and offline^[2]. And dummy display units in shops carry a replica label marked 'dummy'^[1]. The label checker and the product label checklist cover the BIS and Legal Metrology marks that sit on the same box.

Schedule D lists the appliance-specific regulations that the common regulation superseded^[1]. The dates show when each appliance's label rules were last set:

For Schedule A appliances the Regulations set^[2]:

• Company registration: Rs 5,000, once.
• Label security deposit: Rs 3 lakh per appliance category (Rs 50,000 for small-scale industry), interest-free and refundable.
• Model registration: Rs 5,000 per model.
• Label fee: per Schedule A or B, paid quarterly within 30 days of the quarter end, with a CA-certified annual reconciliation^[2].

Schedule B companies register under the procedure in BEE's Operational Manual^[2]. Each brand is registered separately^[33]. See the BEE portal guide for the steps.

An importer registers one brand of ceiling fans with three models and sells 20,000 fans in its first year. These are BEE's own charges; testing in a BEE-recognised lab is extra^[33].

Three years. Permission to label a model is granted for three years, and renewal must be applied for before expiry; it is processed within thirty days, with no fee when the star plan is revised or continued^[2]. BEE's portal manual says a model becomes eligible for renewal six months before expiry, an expired model cannot be renewed and needs a fresh application, all production data and label fees must be up to date, and the renewal fee is Rs 500 per model^[36].

When a star table is revised, continuing models move through the portal's 'Change of Label to New Label (Degradation)' route with the old approval letter and a new sample label^[34]. In 2025 BEE charged Rs 1,000 per model for continuation and Rs 2,000 for a new model registration for refrigerators, ceiling fans and room ACs^[26]. Diarise expiry dates with the licence renewal date tool; fees are explained further on BEE star label fees.

The single 2026 Regulations replaced the appliance-by-appliance rules, and several star tables move on 1 January 2027.

BEE can forfeit the security deposit, suspend the model and push the listing off marketplaces. If a label non-compliance such as a missing or counterfeit label is not explained within thirty days of a show-cause notice, BEE forfeits the label security deposit and suspends the model registration for one year^[2]. Its market checks include e-commerce platforms, and it directs platforms to de-register non-compliant models^[2].

Check tests carry their own costs: after a first failure, BEE tests twice the quantity in two labs at the permittee's cost, and a final failure leads to publication, stock withdrawal and label correction^[2]. Section 26 of the Energy Conservation Act allows penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh, with up to Rs 10,000 a day for continuing failures^[38]. Amazon sellers and Flipkart sellers should keep each model's BEE approval letter with the listing; the Flipkart pre-listing checklist covers the rest.

Start with the BEE star label overview and the portal guide, which walks through each screen. Dated changes are logged on new rules for 2026 and the compliance calendar. To compare BEE fees with BIS, WPC and EPR costs, see the India compliance fees data or run the compliance cost estimator. If you are unsure whether your appliance is mandatory, voluntary or not listed, ask us for a free compliance check.