The National Environment Agency (“NEA“) held a consultation regarding its proposed amendments to the Energy Conservation Act (“ECA“) to extend Minimum Energy Performance Standards (“MEPS“) and Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (“MELS“) to all Regulated Goods imported by end-user for their own use. The consultation ended on 25 January 2026.
The changes to the ECA are intended to apply to all imports of Regulated Goods for own use effective from 1 July 2026.
Context
All Regulated Goods supplied or sold in Singapore must comply with MEPS and MELS requirements. Regulated Goods imported directly by end-users (i.e. not bought from local suppliers or retailers) for their own use are currently not subject to MEPS and MELS requirements.
MEPS and MELS are core government policies aimed at reducing energy consumption and emissions by promoting the use of energy-efficient appliances and equipment.
- MEPS raise the energy efficiency of Regulated Goods by removing less energy efficient models.
- MELS enables customers to compare energy efficiency and energy costs across models and make more informed purchasing decisions.
As more consumers and businesses use online platforms to import Regulated Goods directly, some imports bypass MEPS and MELS requirements, leading to reduced energy savings and hindering carbon reduction efforts. NEA recommends ECA changes that prohibit the import of Regulated Goods for own use unless such goods are registered and comply with MEPS and MELS standards.
Key Proposed Changes
Regulated Goods imported for own use will be subjected to similar MEPS/MELS compliance as those intended for supply in Singapore. These Regulated Goods must:
- be registered with NEA (subject to applicable fees);
- meet MEPS (in accordance with prescribed tests and test conditions). The importing company or individual must produce prescribed test reports to demonstrate compliance when registering the product for own use; and
- be labelled with an Energy Label (where required).
For more information, please refer to the Consultation Paper here.
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