NCERT Solutions Exploring Society: India and Beyond Chapter 12 BEE Star labels at home — LET'S EXPLORE

Book page 269 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
Check out the BEE Star labels on the electronic devices in your home and make a chart of all the devices in an increasing order of their energy efficiency.
Answer

Method. The BEE Star label is a red-and-white sticker or a printed panel that says POWER SAVINGS GUIDE and shows a row of stars. Look for it on the back or side of the refrigerator, the air conditioner, the washing machine, the ceiling fan, the water heater, the TV, the LED bulbs and the inverter. Note the device, the number of stars, and the year on the label. Then arrange the list from fewest stars to most stars — that is “increasing order of energy efficiency”.

OrderDeviceBEE Star ratingYear on labelWhat it means
1 (least efficient)Old ceiling fan, bedroom★ (1 star)2016Uses the most electricity for the work it does
2Water heater (geyser)★★2019
3Washing machine★★★2021
4Refrigerator★★★★2022
5 (most efficient)Air conditioner★★★★★2024Uses the least electricity — “more stars, more savings”

What a good chart must contain: every device you actually found (not invented ones), its exact star count, and one line at the end saying which appliance would save the most if it were replaced. Add a note for any device that carries no star label at all — many older appliances do not.

A 5-star refrigerator using about 0.6 units a day vs a 2-star one using about 1.0 unit a day
Saving = 0.4 units/day → 0.4 × 365 = 146 units a year
At ₹7 per unit → 146 × 7 = about ₹1,022 saved every year
Why it happens: BEE stands for the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and the rating is a government certification just like FSSAI or ISI. It turns something invisible — how much electricity a machine will consume over ten years — into something a buyer can see in one glance in the shop. Good for the electricity bill, and good for the environment.
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