New rule should increase the price of refrigerators; Lula promised to make it cheaper

A new federal government rule for manufacturing and importing refrigerators in Brazil could significantly increase the value of refrigerators and remove cheaper models from the market. The change established by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) requires an energy efficiency level starting at 85.5% and will come into effect at the beginning of 2024.

With this rule, refrigerators with an energy efficiency level below the established value cannot be produced or imported, and sector experts believe that the “cheapest” refrigerators on the market, which currently cost around R$1,500, will disappear.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers of Electronic Products (Eletros), around 10% of refrigerator volumes should leave stores next year and 83% in 2026, when the efficiency index will rise to 90%.

“Only refrigerators worth more than R$4,000 will remain on the market from 2026 onwards and this will cause huge losses for the population of classes C, D and E”, said president of Eletros, José Jorge do Nascimento, in an interview to Estadão.

He even recalled what President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said during an event at Palácio do Planalto in July this year, when he mentioned that it was necessary to reduce the price of the refrigerator. At the time, Lula suggested to the Minister of Development, Industry and Commerce, Geraldo Alckmin, a reissue of an old program to encourage the purchase of household appliances from the “White line”.

“People, from time to time, need to change their household items. When the old refrigerator is crashing, isn’t freezing the beer well, and is using a lot of energy, you have to change it. And, if it’s expensive, let’s make it cheaper, try to find a way”, said the president.

To Estadão, the MME informed that the process of defining new energy efficiency rates for refrigerators “was widely discussed, including with the participation of Eletros, which was unsuccessful in presenting data to support its statements on the most diverse opportunities”.