EGAT Energy Label No.5 Thailand

EGAT's Energy Saving Label No.5 (ฉลากประหยัดไฟฟ้าเบอร์ 5) is a voluntary programme run by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. It is not a certification required by law, but large retailers and consumers take the label for granted on categories such as air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines, and it can be a condition in public procurement or promotional programmes. So the right approach is not "voluntary, so later" but to put it in the launch plan from the start.

The programme runs on product-category requirements documents. Scope, test method, efficiency criteria and rating levels, and label conditions differ by category, and there is no single common test standard. Even within one product group, capacity and model configuration can change the application unit and the representative test model, so a model comparison table is prepared first and checked against the requirements. More recently, efficiency levels within Label No.5 are further distinguished by star markings, so the target rating is decided early.

EGAT's published procedure has three steps.

1. Online registration — enter the company details and the models seeking the label on the programme site and upload the documents the requirements call for.
2. Testing — two routes. Domestic manufacturers send samples to a laboratory whose schedule EGAT coordinates. Importers send samples to a laboratory that tests to the EGAT requirements, then submit the test report to EGAT. EGAT reviews the report and notifies the result by e-mail.
3. Label application, printing and affixing — after passing, the label is applied for online. Participants choose the printer, which must be registered with EGAT, and affix the label to the product for sale as the requirements specify.

Foreign-made products mostly follow the importer route. An existing overseas efficiency report is reviewed for test method, laboratory and model scope against the EGAT requirements, and where there are gaps the scope of additional testing or supplementary evidence is settled first.

Products under a TISI compulsory standard need the TISI licence first. Many of Label No.5's headline categories — air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, fans, rice cookers — are also TISI safety-standard products. A mismatch in model name, factory or licence data between the two procedures blocks the label application, so the schedules are managed in one project. Products outside compulsory standards have no such prerequisite, which is why the category requirements and the TISI Royal Decree list are checked together.

The TISI certification guide covers compulsory-status assessment and designated laboratories.

Keeping a label is harder than getting one. EGAT buys labelled products from the market at random every year and retests them (spot checking). Cases where the test sample and production units differ in efficiency do occur, so when a key component or performance changes, the effect on existing tests and the label is confirmed before shipment.

• Leaving it until after launch because it is voluntary. The label is often a condition for retail listing and promotions.
• Applying for the label without the TISI licence. For compulsory-standard products the order is fixed.
• Assuming the domestic-manufacturer route. Imported products are tested on the company's own commission and the report is submitted.
• Using different model names in the two procedures. TISI and EGAT model and factory data must match.
• Printing the label at any printer. Only EGAT-registered printers are allowed.
• Caring only about the test sample. There is an annual market spot check.

For this product category, we coordinate overseas manufacturer documents with the Thai applicant's existing licenses, product scope and distribution plan. We review new models, label changes and renewal or amendment needs before filing. The applicant and permit scope are assessed for each project.

Where needed, explore Thailand license holding or Importer of Record services alongside your product requirements.