The Energy Commission has announced the full enforcement of new energy efficiency and labelling rules for electrical appliances and renewable energy products, with strict import requirements set to begin on December 1.

This comes after Parliament approved nineteen new Legislative Instruments to regulate the sale and import of electrical appliances and renewable energy products in the country.

The Commission said the regulations came into force on November 2, 2022, after a one-year moratorium that ended in November 2023.

In a public notice issued on Monday, November 17, the Commission explained that the regulations were passed under the Energy Commission Act, 1997 (Act 541). It stated that the purpose of the new rules is to protect consumers, reduce waste and ensure higher energy standards.

Introducing the objectives, the Commission said the regulations are meant “to prevent Ghana from becoming a desirable destination for both new but substandard and used appliances”.

It added that the rules also aim “to reduce electricity wastage and demand, which necessitates additional generation capacity with its associated fuel cost”.

The Commission also said the environmental impact was a key factor. It explained that the regulations were intended “to protect the environment and safeguard the health of citizens from emissions caused by increased power generation”.

The measures are further designed “to protect the consumer from purchasing energy inefficient appliances and prevent the payment of unnecessarily high electricity bills”.

The Commission urged importers and manufacturers to take note of the new requirements.

Parliament’s list of approved regulations covers a wide range of appliances and renewable energy products. These include standards for washing machines, industrial fans, rice cookers, computers, set-top boxes, ventilating fans, solar panels, microwave ovens, storage water heaters, renewable energy batteries, public lighting, refrigerators, televisions, electric motors, electric kettles, air conditioners, distribution transformers, comfort fans and inverters.

As part of the implementation plan, the Commission has issued an updated enforcement roadmap. It said that from 1 December 2025, non-ducted air conditioners with a cooling capacity of less than 4kW will face new efficiency requirements.

The roadmap states that “a minimum Annual Energy Efficiency Ratio (AEER) of 3.22 will be required for variable speed compressors (Inverter) registration and imports”, while “a minimum Annual Energy Efficiency Ratio (AEER) of 3.66 will be required” for fixed-speed models.

The Commission also warned that imports under the old regulations, L.I. 1815 of 2005, will no longer be accepted. It said importers who fail to comply “will be surcharged enforcement fee for non-compliance with L.I. 2458 and made to re-test the products under the new regulations”.

It added that shipments arriving after the deadline without the required labels and registrations will be rejected. The statement said that imports “will be asked to be re-exported according to the provisions of the regulations”, and where that is not possible, other penalties will apply.

The Commission encouraged the Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances Alliance Ghana to take note of the roadmap to avoid difficulties at the port. It noted that sales of existing stock already in shops and warehouses will continue until July 2026, with both old and new labels allowed during that period.