Higher energy efficiency standards for three common types of appliance will help households save HK$300 million a year on electricity, officials say.
The changes affect air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines - which account for about half of household energy consumption - and will come into effect in November next year, giving retailers and manufacturers time to adjust.
Officials said the changes would keep Hong Kong in line with labelling in other jurisdictions, including mainland China, Europe and South Korea, and also take into account the emergence of new technology. This includes split-type air conditioners with a variable frequency drive, which are a third more efficient than fixed frequency appliances.
Besides split-type air conditioners - which are mounted on walls rather than windows - the variable frequency technology is also being used in some fridges and washing machines.
Frank Chan Fan, director of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Department, said the more efficient products were about 10 per cent more expensive than their rivals, but hoped prices could fall as more products entered the market.
"The price will be determined by market competition," he said.
Wong Sek-cheung, the department's acting assistant director, said manufacturers were eager to begin importing products meeting the higher standards to Hong Kong.
The estimated energy savings are based on market research into the likely adoption of more efficient technology.
The shake-up is the first review of standards since energy efficiency labelling - under which products are given one of five grades - became mandatory in 2008. The changes were gazetted yesterday.
The changes will see 90 per cent of the 2,700 products currently given grade one - the highest efficiency level - downgraded.
Wat Hon-keung, of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Electrical Appliances Merchants Association, said members had known of the changes for some time and had changed their buying strategies. He expects prices to fall for split-type air conditioners.
"Consumers will be smart to choose the most efficient ones and retailers might give a bigger discount to get rid of stock," he said. He expects window-mounted units to stay at the same price, as variable frequency technology could not be used for them.