There are a lot of cries from the public on reducing their monthly cost of living. This will grow in future as the cost of raw materials is ever increasing in every sector. One of the sectors that will face immediate problem is energy.

Fomca in many platforms has urged that mandatory energy efficient labeling for all household electrical and electronic products be introduced.

Some may ask why such labeling is important. Independent testing and verification proves that certain equipments can use energy efficiently. This eventually helps the consumers to choose proper products for their daily use.

When there is no trustworthy or ‘validated’ labeling, everyone claims that their products are efficient. Consumers end up being cheated. The EU made their products labeling mandatory. This includes cars.

At the same time, our government should reduce taxes for efficient products as this will help to reduce market price and eventually promotes consumers to be energy efficient. The taxes for non-efficient products must be increased. These products must be taxed higher as they use our energy inefficiently and promote wastage.

Another sector that needs attention is the manufacturing and services industries. Are these industries energy efficient? Do they get penalised if they waste?

These questions must derive answers for if these industries waste energy in the manufacturing or their service industry, they should be taxed higher. At the same time, if such industries are shifting towards being energy efficient, they should be rewarded with tax exemption and other incentives.

Fomca is aware there are currently some policy level benefits, but there is no report on how the industries are utilising the tools and which industries are benefitting. They are no published details for the public’s knowledge.

Industries also highlight that it is not easy even to get high efficiency motors off the shelf. Motor- based equipment are gulpers of energy and the Energy Commission has moved towards labeling such motors.

Such motors are not locally manufactured in varieties; this causes delays as there are not enough spare parts. Simple issues like this must be addressed wholly.

Being energy efficient also starts from buildings; an efficient building reduces dependency on electrical energy. A proper window design allows more sunlight in but prevents heat. Proper design of walls and selection of materials prevents or reduces heat from entering the building and also prevent coldness from escaping.

Such designs are currently being developed by individuals and also by Pusat Tenaga Malaysia.

Fomca urges that the government put in place such amendments to the Uniform Building By-Law (UBBL). This will ensure that developers follow the energy-efficient design criteria during construction of offices and houses in future.

We hope for more policy level and technological solutions to help consumers move towards an energy efficient society, whilst being a sustainable consumer.

The writer is president, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).