The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy 
Efficiency Labelling Scheme for 
 
 
 Hot/Cold Bottled Water 
Dispensers (draft)  
 
 December 2007 
 
            
 
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department 
3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong 
Homepage: http://www.emsd.gov.hk  
  
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme for Hot/cold Bottled Water Dispensers CONTENTS 
Section Title  Page 
1. Purpose 1  
2. Background 1  
3. Scope 2  
4. Definitions 2  
5. Technical Standards 4  
6. Test Methods 4  
7. Energy Label 6  
8. Testing Facilities, Laboratorie s And Accreditation Bodies 7  
9. Registration And Participation 8  
10. Legal Provisions 11  
11. Compliance Monitoring And Inspection 11  
12. Complaints And Appeal 13  
13. Maintenance Of Scheme 13  
14. Future Development 14  
 
 
Annexes   
1 Energy Label Format 
2 Proforma Letter of Invitation 
3 Proforma Letter of Application 4 Information to be submitted to Energy Efficiency Office 5 Proforma Letter of Acceptance of Application 6 Proforma Letter of Rejection 7 Flow Chart for Registration 
 
Table 
1 Energy-Efficiency Criteria for Qu alified Bottled Water Dispensers 
    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 1 of 14 
1. Purpose 
 
 This set of document is in tended to give a general descri ption on the introduction of the 
Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labe lling Scheme for Hot/Cold Bottled Water 
Dispensers. 
 
 
2. Background 
 
2.1 The Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme (EELS) is an energy conservation initiative that 
the Government of the Hong Kong Special Ad ministrative Region (HKSAR) has adopted. 
Under the scheme, some common types of app liances will incorporate an energy label 
that serves to inform consumers of the product's energy consumption and efficiency. 
Consumers should then be able to take t hose factors into account and make their 
purchasing decision. 
 
2.2 The concept of EELS has been developed a nd implemented in se veral forms and in 
different stages of development. In some c ountries, it is a compulsory requirement for 
certain kinds of appliances to be provided wi th energy labels before they can be put on 
the market. The labelling requirements may apply to equipment such as household 
refrigerators / freezers, washing machines , room coolers, clothes dryers, compact 
fluorescent lamps, electric storage water heaters, etc. The EELS generally aims to 
achieve the following: 
 
• greater public awareness of ener gy conservation and environmental 
improvement needs; 
• provision of readily available, pre-pur chase information on energy consumption 
and efficiency data, where applicable, to  enable ordinary c onsumers to select 
more energy efficient products; 
• stimulation to the manufacturers/market for phasing out less energy efficient 
models; and 
• actual energy savings and environment improvement. 
 
2.3 Hong Kong also aims at achieving the a bove objectives and the Hong Kong Voluntary 
EELS now covers seventeen ty pes of household appliances a nd office equipment.  Ten 
types of which are electrical appliances in cluding refrigerators, r oom coolers, washing 
machines, compact fluorescent lamps, elec tric clothes dryers, electric storage water 
heaters, electric rice-cookers, dehumidifiers, televisions and electronic ballasts.  The six types of office equipment include photoc opiers and multi-function devices, laser 
printers, LCD monitors, computers and fax ma chines.  There is also one type of gas 
appliance for domestic gas inst antaneous water heaters. The scope of EELS has also 
been extended to cover petrol passenger cars.  
    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 2 of 14 
3. Scope 
 
3.1 The scheme will only apply to the manufactu rers and importers w ho have participated 
in the voluntary scheme.  
 
3.2 The scheme will commence from XX XXX 2008 and will expire on XX XXX 2010.  
 3.3 The scope of application covers all new registered appliances imported to or 
manufactured in Hong Kong with effect fro m the date that is declared by the 
participants but does not cover second-hand pr oducts, products already in existing use, 
under trans-shipment or manuf actured for export, etc. 
 
3.4 The scheme will operate as a ‘Recognition Type’ labelling system . All participating 
appliances will be registered under this sc heme provided that they have met the 
performance requirement specified in the scheme. 
 
3.5 Hot/cold bottled water dispensers under this  labelling scheme include a free standing 
device that consumes energy and dispen ses water from removable typically 8- to 
20-litre plastic bottles commonly positioned on top/at the bottom of the unit. 
 
3.6 The provisions of this scheme shall apply to the following hot/cold bottled water 
dispensers:  
(a) Cold Bottled Units: These units have re frigeration components and dispense cold 
water, or some units may ha ve a room-temperature tap.  
(b) Hot Bottled Units: These units have water heating system and dispense hot water, 
or some units may have a room-temperature tap. 
(c) Hot and Cold Bottled Units: These units in stalled with electric resistance heater 
and refrigeration components are able to  dispense both hot and cold water. 
Some units may have a th ird room-temperature tap. 
 
 
 
4. Definitions 
Unless otherwise specified, the followi ng definitions shall apply throughout this 
document:- 
 
appliance means hot/cold bottled water disp ensers described under Section 
3 (Scope) of this scheme. 
  
Authority means the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). 
     
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 3 of 14bottled water 
dispenser means a free standing device that consumes energy and dispenses water from removable plastic bo ttles, typically 8- to 20-litre, 
commonly positioned on top/at the bottom of the unit. 
  
Compartment-type 
bottled water 
dispenser means a bottled water dispenser whic h, in addition to the primary 
function of cooling and dispen sing potable water, includes a 
refrigerated compartment with or without provisions for making 
ice. 
  
Director means the Director of Electrical & Mechanical Services 
Department, the Government  of the Hong Kong Special 
Administrative Region. 
  
Government means the Government of the H ong Kong Special Administrative 
Region.  
  
inspecting officer means the officer authorized by the Director to carry out inspection on appliances. 
  
label means the energy label as described in Section 7 of this document. 
  
participant means the manufacturers, importers or the retailers of appliance 
participating in the scheme. 
  
rated voltage means the voltage marked on the bottled water dispenser. 
  
rated wattage means the wattage marked on the bottled water dispenser. 
  
Recognized 
laboratory means a laboratory that complies with the requirements as stated in Section 8 of this document and is acceptable to the Authority 
for carrying out tests and issuing test reports on hot/cold water 
dispensers. 
  
scheme means the Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling 
Scheme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers. 
  
Standby energy 
consumption means the required energy to main tain cold and/or hot water at 
appropriate dispensing temperatures. 
    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 4 of 14 
5. Technical Standards  
 
Energy Efficiency Specificati ons for Qualifying Products 
5.1 The technical requirement focuses on reduc ing standby energy consumption. Those 
products listed in section 3 that meet the crit eria outlined in Table 1 below shall qualify 
for this scheme. 
 
Table 1: Energy-Efficiency Criteria for Qualified Bottled Water Dispensers  
 
Product Category  Energy Consumption Under Test 
Conditions  
Cold bottled units < 0.16 kW-hours/day 
Hot bottled units < 0.75 kW-hours/day 
Hot and cold bottled units < 1.20 kW-hours/day 
 
5.2 The aforesaid energy consumptions refer to  values measured in accordance with the 
test methods as specified in this document. 
 
  
 
6. Test Methods 
 
General 
6.1 All test methods specified in this docume nt are only related to checking compliance 
with the standby power rating. It is not the intention of this document to detail out the 
test standards and requirements for checki ng compliance with the Electrical Products 
(Safety) Regulation of the HKSAR. The pa rticipant should conduct appropriate tests, 
where necessary, in addition to those specif ied in this document in order to comply 
with the requirements stipulated in the afores aid Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation.  
 
Compliance with Safety Requirements 
6.2 The testing standards for checking complianc e with the safety requirements are based 
on the following international standards. For detailed requirements and procedural 
descriptions one should refer to  the respective standards. 
(a) IEC 60335-1, Household and si milar electrical appl iances – Safety – Part 1: General 
requirements. 
(b) IEC 60335-2-24, Particular requirements for refrigerating app liances, ice-cream 
appliances and ice-makers. 
(c)  IEC 60335-2-15, Particular requirement s for appliances for heating liquids. 
(d) IEC 60335-2-75, Particular requirements fo r commercial dispensing appliances and 
vending machines.    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 5 of 146.3 To the extent that definitions in the IEC stan dard do not conflict with the definitions of 
this document, the definitions in the aforesaid standard shall be included. 
 
Test Conditions 
6.4 For all hot/cold bottled water dispensers, th e test conditions shall be as follows: 
(a) Electrical supply     220V ± 2%;  
(b) F r e q u e n c y       5 0 H z  ± 2%; 
(c) Line impedance    < 0.25 ohm; 
(d) Total harmonic distortion   < 5% (voltage); 
(e) Test room temperature    25 °C ± 1 °C; 
(f) Test room relative humidity  45% to 75%; 
(g) Distance from platform walls  300 mm; and 
(h) Platform distance from ground 300 mm  
 
Test Criteria  
6.5 Tests will focus on overall standby losses and water will not be withdrawn during 
the testing procedure. 
 
(a) Power Measurement: Energy use shall be measured as the total true power 
(kilowatt-hours) consumed in one 24-hour period; 
(b) Starting Conditions: Before starting the en ergy measurements, the unit should be 
at operating conditions, with water temperat ures as defined in item (f) below. 
(c)   Water Withdrawal: No water may be withdrawn from the unit during the test. 
(d) Timer Usage: If the unit has an integral, automatic timer, the timer can be set to 
turn off the unit for not more than 10 hours in the 24-hour test period. The unit 
must operate for the last 2 hours of the 24-hour test to ensure that it fully warms 
up or cools down after the shut-off period.  
(e) Starting water temperature must be 25 °C ± 1 °C  
(f)   Dispensed Water Temperatures: Cold water temperature shall not exceed 10 °C for 
refrigeration type units, cold water temperature shall not exceed 15 °C for 
electronic type units, and hot water temperature shall be at least 85 °C. These 
temperatures shall be measured before conducting the standby energy use test 
described in this specification when the re spective function, compressor, or heating 
element turns on.  
(g) Measurement of Dispensed Wa ter Temperatures: After the disposal of the initial 
100 ml dispensed water, a 250 ml ± 5 ml container shall be used to collect 200 ml 
dispenser water for immediate meas urement of water temperatures. 
(h) Dispenser Location: The tested unit must be placed on a platform, where the side 
walls and back wall shall be painted with black and extended to cover the tested 
dispenser over 300mm height. 
(i)   Airflow: Airflow around the unit must not be greater than 0.25 m/s; no artificial 
means of increasing the airflow is perm itted. Airflow created by components    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 6 of 14integral to the unit itself, such as internal fan, is permitted.  
(j)   Compartment Temperature: If the unit be ing tested is a compartment-type bottled 
water cooler, during the test, there shall be  no melting of ice, nor shall the average 
temperature exceed 7.8 °C in the refrigerated compartment.  
 
6.6 A wattmeter shall be used to measure the power consumption of the hot/cold bottled 
water dispenser under test. The wattmeter sh all be capable of reading the power drawn 
by the hot/cold bottled without disr upting the electrical power supply.  
 
6.7 The wattmeter should have a frequency respons e of at least 3 kHz and should provide 
resolution of 0.1 W and accuracy of ± 1%. In addition, the meter should be capable of 
reading the current drawn by the hot/cold bottled water dispenser without causing 
internal peak distortion (i.e. clipping off the top of the current wave). The use of a 
wattmeter with higher crest factors and more current range choices should be 
preferred. 
 
 
 
 
7. Energy Label   
 
General 
7.1 Energy labels are classified into the following two types: 
(a) Verification label;  and 
(b) Information label. 
 
7.2 A verification label indicates the appliance meets the energy performance standards as 
required by the scheme. It is a compulsory re quirement for participant to affix this label 
to his registered appliances. 
 
7.3 An information label contains information to guide the general public to contact the 
Authority regarding enquires about the scheme. The affixation of this  label to registered 
appliances is optional. 
 
Label Location 
7.4 The energy label should be self-adhesive a nd affixed to the appliance at a prominent 
location. The participant should ensure th at the verification label appears on every 
registered appliance on display or sale and the information on the label shall be legible. 
 
Colour Scheme and Dimensions 
7.5 The energy labels should be printed on sel f-adhesive material with white-coloured 
background and should have col our schemes and dimensions as shown in Annex 1. It 
should be printed in English and in Chinese.    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 7 of 14 
Paper Quality 
7.6 The Paper used for the energy label should be durable and possess  good wear and tear 
characteristics.  
 
 
 
 
8. Testing Facilities, Laboratories and Accreditation 
Bodies 
 
8.1 The testing is carried out either by independ ent test institutes or by the manufacturers 
or importers themselves at th eir own test facilities. The Au thority will accept the results 
and certificates issued by the test laboratory which fulfills one of the following criteria 
as specified in Clause 8.2, 8.3 or 8.4. 
 
8.2 The laboratory is accredited by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) for the 
relevant test under the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditatio n Scheme (HOKLAS) or a 
scheme with which HKAS has concluded a mutual recognition agreement#; and the 
results are issued in a test report or certificate bearing the accreditation mark . 
 
8.3 (a) Self-declaration by original manufacture r that the operations of their in-house 
laboratory followed principally the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025; and  
(b) The manufacturer currently operating acco rding to a recognized international 
quality system (such as ISO 9001);  and 
(c) The manufacturer’s in-house laboratory had been succ essful in carrying out 
energy consumption tests on office equi pment and where these tests had been 
evaluated and certified by internationa lly recognised third party certification 
organisations. 
 
                                                 
#  HKAS has concluded mutual recognition arrangements with fifty-six overseas accreditation 
bodies for testing laboratory accreditation, namely, UKAS  of the United Kingdom, NATA  of 
Australia, A2LA , NVLAP  and IAS of the United States,  IANZ  of New Zealand, RvA of Netherlands, 
SAC-SINGLAS  of Singapore, BMwa  of Austria, BELTEST and BKO/OBE  of Belgium, DANAK  of 
Denmark, FINAS  of Finland, COFRAC of France, DAR-DAP , DAR-DATECH , DAR-DASMIN , 
DAR-DKD , and DAR-DACH  of Germany, I NAB of Ireland, SINAL and SIT of Italy; NA of Norway,, 
ENAC  of Spain, SWEDAC  of Sweden, SAS of Switzerland,  CNAL  of People’s Republic of China, 
CNLA  of Chinese Taipei, CAI of Czech Republic, INMETRO  of Brazil,  IAJapan , JAB and VLAC  of 
Japan, KOLAS  of Korea, SANAS  of South Africa, SCC of Canada, NABL  of India, VILAS/STAMEQ  
of Viet Nam, LA of Lithuania, SNAS  of Slovakia, KAN of Indonesia, ISRAC  of Israel, DSM of 
Malaysia; TISI of Thailand, OAA of Argentina,  ONARC  of Cuba, NLAB  of Egypt, EAK of Estonia, 
ESYD  of Greece, LATAK  of Latvia, PCA of Poland, SNAS  of Slovakia, SA of Slovenia, etc.  The list of 
mutual recognition arrangement partners may change fro m time to time and the up-to-date list is available 
from the HKAS website of www.info.gov.hk/itc/hkas .  Partners to these arrangements recognise the 
accreditations granted by one another as equivalent.     
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 8 of 148.4 The tests results are issued by a laboratory which achieves HOKLAS accreditation (or is 
accredited by a scheme with which HO KLAS has signed a mutual recognition 
agreement) for laboratory testing of electri cal and mechanical appliances other than 
testing based on technical methods stipulated  in this scheme, and the laboratory can 
demonstrate their capability of  carrying out tests on hot/cold bottled water dispensers 
in accordance with the technical methods.  
 
Laboratory Accreditation 
8.5 The Government takes cognizance of the need  to ensure acceptable and compatible 
quality standards of testing laboratories, and c onsiders that they need to be accredited 
by some independent bodies. 
 
8.6 The criteria of accreditation should be ba sed on ISO/IEC 17025 and accreditation bodies 
should operate in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011.  
 8.7 The Authority will recognize accreditation granted by the HOKLAS and by overseas 
accreditation bodies which have conclude d mutual recognition arrangements with 
HKAS for accreditation of testing laboratories.  The Authority will consider 
accreditation by other bodies  on a case-by-case basis. 
 Energy Efficiency Verification Service 
8.8 An increasing number of countries now ac cept, as proof of product conformance, 
energy efficiency verification services provided  by third-party organisation that has been 
accredited as a certification organisation. In  accordance with this trend, the Authority 
will consider seriously test results that ha ve been evalua ted and verified against the 
energy efficiency standards of the scheme  by reputable third-party certification 
organisations. 
   
 
9. Registration and Participation 
 
Registration Procedures 
9.1 All manufacturers, importers a nd the other parties involved in the appliance distribution 
network are welcomed and encouraged to pa rticipate in the scheme. For some known 
manufacturers and importers, in vitation letters will be issu ed to them. However, any 
party may submit their applications for re gistration no matter whether they are invited 
or not.  
 
9.2 The proforma letter of invitation is shown in Annex 2.  
 
9.3 Applicant should submit formal application through mail, facsimile or electronic mail.  
 
 Chief Engineer / Energy Efficiency A    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 9 of 14 Energy Efficiency Office 
 Electrical and Mechanical Services Department 
3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon 
Hong Kong 
 
 by means of an application letter. In orde r to ensure effective implementation of the 
scheme, the applicant must be committe d to fully comply with the duties, 
responsibilities and obligations se t out in this scheme. The proforma letter of application 
as shown in Annex 3 details the afores aid obligations and should be used for 
application. To facilitate the applicati on process, the application form can be 
downloaded from EMSD website . 
 
Information/Documents to be Submitted for Registration 
9.4 Each make and model of an appliance participating in the scheme should be provided 
with a test report issued by a recognized laboratory. The test report should contain 
power consumption test and pe rformance test results. The details of the technical 
information to be submitted together wi th the application are listed as follows: 
(a) Information on the company  
Name, Address, Telephone number, Fax,  E-mail address, Contact person, 
Importer, Distributor, etc. 
(b) Products to apply for participating in the scheme  
Names of products, types, brand names, model references, countries of origin 
(c) Parties which will be responsible for making and fixing the Energy Label 
(d) Commencement date to affi x energy label on appliance 
Year ______, Month _______ 
(e) Documentary proof that the appliance(s)  comply with IEC 60065, Audio, video 
and similar electronic apparatus – Safe ty requirements and/or the Electrical 
Products (Safety) Regulation of the HKSAR, where applicable 
(f) Detailed test reports sha ll provide at least the following relevant technical data 
for the appliance: 
• Product Category; 
• Standby power rating (kWh/day); 
• Rated cold/hot water temperature a nd capacity of dispensed cold/hot 
water; and 
• Measured cold water temperature and/or hot water temperature 
 
9.5 Company's name and chop should be stam ped on all the documents provided. All 
photocopy test reports submitted to the Auth ority shall be certified true copy by 
appropriate organization. 
 
Acceptance of Registration 
9.6 On receipt of the application, the Authorit y will verify whether the appliance meets the 
energy efficiency and performance require ments based on the submitted data. The 
accuracy of the submitted data, their inc onsistencies and non-compliance will be dealt 
with in accordance with Section 11.    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 10 of 149.7 If the application is accepted, the participant  will be notified of the result within 18 
working days upon receipt of a ll necessary information reques ted. The participant will 
then be allowed to affix the energy la bel onto the ‘registered’ appliance. Both 
manufacturer and importer of the registered appliance should ensure that the energy 
label is correctly printed and affixed on the appliance in accordance with Section 7. The 
proforma letter of acceptan ce is shown in Annex 5. 
 9.8 If the application is rejected , the notification lett er as shown in Annex 6 will also be 
given within 18 working days upon receipt of  all necessary information requested. 
 
9.9 The flow chart for registration is shown in Annex 7. 
 
Particpant’s Duties, Respons ibilities and Obligations 
9.10 The participant is obliged to: 
(a) submit application and information in cluding test results in accordance with 
format and procedures set out in Section 9.3 – 9.5; 
(b) conduct tests via recognized laboratories and to comply with the specified test 
methodology and classification scheme; 
(c) produce and affix labels at his own costs; 
(d) fully inform other sales agents in his distribution  network once the particular 
make and model of an appliance is  registered under this scheme; 
(e) allow random/ad-hoc inspection to be conducted by persons authorized by the 
Authority on registered appliance at his premises; 
(f) conduct re-test(s) at his own costs at some recognized laboratories, if 
non-compliance is found on his appliance. Th e result of re-test(s) shall reach the 
Authority within the prescribed period of time specified by the Authority; 
(g) inform the Authority of any change in the technical information and data that 
were previously submitted to the Authorit y together with the application letter; 
(h) accept the fact that if appliance fails to perform in accordance with the 
requirements as given in Sections 5 and 6 and this cannot be readily rectified, 
the Authority may order it be de-registered from the scheme; and  
(i) remove within three months all energy  labels from appliances which had been 
de-registered. 
 
9.11 The details of appliances re gistered under this scheme will be kept in a register 
maintained by the Authority. The registra tion records will be regularly uploaded and 
maintained in the EMSD internet for pub lic and interested parties for access and 
information.  
 
Termination  
9.12 Under circumstances of poor performance such as:   
 
(a) (repeated) failure to fulfil obligat ions set out under Section 9.10; or 
(b) in any other case where the Director is of the opinion that registration of an    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 11 of 14appliance is contrary to the public interest 
the Authority may de-register an appliance from the scheme with immediate effect by 
giving the participant notice in writing. On ce an appliance is de -registered, no one is 
allowed to fix an energy label on it. Howeve r, participant will norma lly be given a grace 
period of three months to remove all la bels from the de-registered appliances.  
De-registration may occur even when there is no legal action taken under either the 
Trade Descriptions Ordinance or the Copyright Ordinance. 
 
9.13 Participant who decides to discontinue partici pating in the scheme or to withdraw any 
registered model from the registered applia nce list shall give at least three months’ 
advance notice to the Authority. 
 
  
 
10. Legal Provisions 
 
10.1 This scheme is a voluntary scheme. However,  a participant who abuses the scheme by 
giving false information on a la bel may contravene provisions  of the Trade Descriptions 
Ordinance. 
 
10.2 No one could take advantage of the sche me by using the label on his appliances 
without authorization of the Authority as that may constitute an infringement of 
copyright under the Copyright Ordinance. 
 
  
 
11. Compliance Monitoring and Inspection 
 
Purpose 
11.1 To uphold credibility of the scheme and to maintain continuous confidence of the 
consumers, compliance check on energy labels  on those appliances participating in the 
scheme are needed. Also to avoid the unsatis factory situation that the non-participating 
parties taking advantage of the scheme by using unauthorized labels, the Authority may 
also carry out suitable form of inspection on those unregistered appliances which have 
not been registered under the scheme. 
 
Scope 
11.2 The scope of inspection includes sample ch ecking and testing the following items: 
(a) whether the energy label is posit ioned as required in clause 7.2; 
(b) whether the energy label being displaye d is of correct format in accordance 
with Section 7; 
(c) whether the data submitted by the parti cipants are correct by  random re-testing; 
and    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 12 of 14(d) whether unregistered appliances display unauthorized energy label. 
 
11.3 The participants will be requested to take  immediate remedial action and report the 
follow-up action taken if non-complianc e is found on their appliances.  
 
11.4 If a registered appliance is found not meeti ng the requirements specified in accordance 
with the technical standards stipulated in Section 5 during random testing, the 
Authority may request the participant to c onduct separate performance tests at his own 
costs, in accordance with the test methodology as stated in Section 6 in one of the test 
laboratories agreed by the Authority. If non-compliance is confirmed and no remedial 
action is to be taken by the applicant, the Authority may order it be de-registered from 
the scheme. Failure to remove energy labels  from the de-registered appliances after the 
Director has withheld his authorization fo r using such labels may contravene the 
relevant ordinances. 
 
Inspecting Officers 
11.5 The Authority will authorize inspecting offi cers to carry out appliance compliance 
monitoring and inspection. The officers will carry proper identification cards which will 
be produced during their inspection operations . However, the officers will not inform 
the participants in advance of their intended inspection operation. 
 11.6 It is the participants' duty to allow the inspecting officers to gain access to their 
premises to carry out inspection. 
  
Mode of Inspection 
11.7 Inspections will be carried out on registered  appliances under th e scheme on random 
basis. Based on the record of the regis tration, random inspection programmes will be 
developed. 
 11.8 In addition to the random inspections, the inspecting officers will carry out ad-hoc 
inspections in response to complaints. The it ems to be inspected in such a case will 
depend upon the nature of complaint and may include all types of inspection as stated 
in Section 11.2. 
 
11.9 Inspections will normally be carried out at the retail outlets and appliance showrooms. 
Where necessary, inspection w ill also be done at warehouses. 
 11.10  The inspection results will be properly reco rded for future analysis as well as on 
evaluation of the effectiveness of the scheme. 
    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 13 of 14 
12. Complaints and Appeal 
 
12.1 The Authority will be responsible for deali ng with complaints from participants and 
other parties against matter s related to the scheme. 
 
Complaints Handling Procedure 
12.2 The Director shall ensure th at complaints are properly re corded and handled without 
undue delay. 
 12.3 The Authority shall carry out preliminary in vestigation on complaints and reply to the 
complainants within a reasonable time. For co mplaints that require site inspection and 
laboratory test, the complainant shall be notified through an interim reply. 
 12.4 The Authority shall inform the complainant of the results or decisions made on the 
complaint. 
 
Appeal Procedure 
12.5 A participant who is aggrie ved by a decision or action taken by the Authority may 
appeal to the Director in writing stating the reason for the appeal. 
 12.6 The Director may decide to suspend the de cision or action given by the Authority from 
the day on which the appeal is made until such appeal is disposed of, withdrawn or abandoned unless such suspension would, in th e opinion of the Director, be contrary to 
public interest. 
 12.7 The Director may by notice to the appellant  require that appellant to attend meeting 
with him or his representatives and provide documents and give ev idence relevant to 
the appeal. 
 12.8 The Director shall notify the appellant of hi s decision and reasons for it. The decision 
will be final and binding. 
   
 
13. Maintenance of Scheme 
 
13.1 To ensure that the scheme can continue to operate effectively and efficiently after its 
introduction, a proper system of maintenance is needed.  
 
13.2 The maintenance system c onsists essentially of:    
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold Water Dispensers Page 14 of 14(a) Continuous updating of the lists of pa rticipants in the scheme as follows: 
i) registered appliances with details  such as registration number in the 
scheme, date of registra tion or de-registration if it occurs, energy 
efficiency data, performance data , make, model a nd other related 
information; and 
ii) registered importers, manufacturers, local agents etc. in the distribution 
network with details such as a ddress, date of registration or 
de-registration if it occurs, etc. 
(b) Periodic review of the test meth odology, and procedures for application 
registration and compliance monitoring, etc., to bring them in line with the 
latest needs of the manufacturers,  importers and retailers, etc.   
(c) Continuous evaluation of the effectiven ess of the scheme and assessment of 
what changes are necessary. 
 
 
 
 
14. Future Development 
 
14.1 It is hoped that following the implementati on of the scheme, the market will phase out 
appliances of low efficiency and public awaren ess of using energy efficient products will 
be much improved.  
 14.2 As part of the Government’s ongoing e fforts to promote the efficient use and 
conservation of energy, it is opportune to introduce a mandatory EELS by the inclusion 
of energy consuming products in phases. In the initial phase, refrige rators, room coolers 
and compact fluorescent lamps are being c onsidered in the proposed mandatory EELS. 
   Annex 1 
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Scheme for Hot/cold water dispensers – Annex 1     
Energy Label Format  
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
    
 
     
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
Soft copies of these labels can be obtained fr om Energy Efficiency Office, Electrical and 
Mechanical Services Department.     
Verification Label
Information Label70mm
35mm
80mm
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   Annex 2   
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Sc heme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers – Annex 2  Proforma Letter of Invitation  
 
Our ref.  EEO/LB/32 Your ref. 
       Tel. Fax.        
Date 
 
Name and Address of  
Manufacturers/Importers/Agents  
 
Dear Sir/Madam, 
 
Invitation of Application for Re gistration to Participate in 
Voluntary 
Energy Efficiency Labe lling Scheme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers 
 
Having gone through the necessary consultations and duly considered the views from various 
concerned parties, the government has decided to introduce a voluntary energy efficiency 
labelling scheme for hot/cold bottled water di spensers to Hong Kong with effect from 
(___________________). The details of the scheme n have been finalized and I enclose 
herewith a guide of the sche me for your reference.  
 
Being one of the major hot/cold bottled water dispenser manufacturers / importers / agents o 
in Hong Kong, you are invited to participate in the scheme so as to take part in promoting 
public awareness in energy c onservation and environmental im provement to Hong Kong.  If 
you are interested to participate in the scheme, please apply in accordance with the proforma 
letter of application (Annex 3) a nd submit details including techni cal information in accordance 
with the attached Annex 4 to the ‘Chief Engin eer / Energy Efficiency A’ at the following 
address. 
  Energy Efficiency Office 
 Electrical and Mechanical Services Department 
3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon 
Hong Kong 
 Please be reminded to submit accu rate test data to support your application. Under this Scheme, 
routine compliance monitoring and checking will be performed and if a registered hot/cold 
bottled water dispenser is found to be non-co mpliant, we may consider deregistering the 
hot/cold bottled from the Scheme.  
Should you need further clarification or inform ation, you are most welcome to contact the 
undersigned or Mr. ____ ________ , at the te lephone number _________. 
 Yours faithfully,   
for Director of Electrical & Mechanical Services 
____  
(Note : n 'scheme' means 'The Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme for Hot/Cold 
bottled water dispensers ’ 
o   delete as appropriate)     Annex 3   
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Sc heme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers – Annex 3  Proforma Letter of Application  
Your ref. EEO/LB/32  
Our ref.           
Tel. 
 Date  Chief Engineer/Energy Efficiency A Electrical & Mechanical Services Department 
3 Kai Shing Street, Kowloon 
Hong Kong 
 Dear Sir/Madam,  
Application for Registration to Participate in 
Voluntary Energy 
Efficiency Labelling Scheme for Ho t/Cold Bottled Water Dispensers 
 
Our company is the (manufacturer/importer/agent*)  of____________ _______ in Hong Kong. 
We support the introduction of the labelling sche me to Hong Kong and would like to be one 
of the participants in the scheme  to promote energy efficiency. 
 I understand fully the obligations and duties stat ed in the scheme and will comply with all 
relevant requirements, in parti cular those specified below: 
 
i) conduct tests via recognized laboratories and to comply with the specified test 
standards; 
ii) produce and affix specified labels at my own costs;  iii) allow random/ad-hoc inspection to be conduc ted by persons authorized by the issuing 
Authority on registered appliance at my premises; 
iv) conduct re-test(s) at my own costs at some  recognized laboratories, if the results of 
inspection suggest inaccurate energy label in formation being displayed. The result of 
re-test(s) shall reach the Authority within the prescribed period time specified by the 
Authority; 
v) inform the Authority of any change in th e technical information and data that were 
previously submitted to the Authority t ogether with the application letter; and 
vi) accept the fact that if appliance fails to perform in accordance with the required energy 
efficiency standards and performance as give n in Section 5 and this cannot be readily 
rectified, the Authority may order it  be de-registered from the scheme. 
 
The details of information of those appliances which we intend to register with the Authority 
are shown in the attached document, (Annex 4) and are submitted herewith for your vetting. 
 Yours faithfully,   
 
(Manufacturer/Importer/Agent' s Name and Company Chop) 
______________ *          
delete as appropriate   Annex 4 
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Sc heme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers – Annex 4  
  
Information to be Submitted to Energy Efficiency Office  
 
 
1. Information on the company: 
  
Name, Address, Telephone number, Fax, E- mail address, Contact person, Importer, 
Distributor, etc.   
2. Product to apply for participating in the scheme: 
 
Name of products, types, make, mode l references, countries of origin 
  
3. Parties which will be responsible for making and fixing the Energy Label 
 
      
4. Commencement date to affix Energy Labels on appliance  Year ______, Month ______ 
   
 5. Detailed test reports providing at least the following relevant technical data for the 
appliances: 
 
(a) Product Category 
(b) Standby power rating (kWh/day); 
(c) Rated cold/hot water temper ature and capacity of dispensed cold/hot water; and 
(d) Measured cold water temperature and/or hot water temperature 
 
  
6. Documentary proof that the appliance(s) co mply with the Electrical Products (Safety) 
Regulation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 
 
  
Note:  Company's name and chop should be stamped on the all documents provided. 
All test reports submitted to the office s hould be certified true copy by appropriate 
organization.  Annex 5 
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Sc heme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers – Annex 5  Proforma Letter of Acceptance  
 
 Your ref.    
Our ref. EEO/LB/32 
        
Tel: Fax: 
      
Date   
 
Manufacturers/Importers/Agents 
       
 
Dear Sir/Madam,  
Acceptance of Application for Registration to Participate in 
Voluntary 
Energy Efficiency Labelling Sche me for Hot/Cold Bottled Water 
Dispensers 
 
 With reference to your letter of ref.________________dated ______________, I am pleased to inform you that your application to participate  in the captioned scheme has been accepted. 
 
I enclose herewith the registration certificates of  hot/cold bottled water dispensers registered. 
The registered hot/cold bottled water dispensers are as follows:   Brand/Make/Model
 Registration No.  Effective date  
 (________________) (_____________) (___________)  
 
You are allowed to affix a specified energy la bel onto each and every appliance registered 
under the scheme. The contents of the energy label should be based on the information that 
you have provided in your applicati on ref.__________ and dated __________.   
Should you have any queries regarding the scheme, please contact this office.   
            
 
Yours faithfully, 
   
 
   
for Director of Electrical & Mechanical Services  Annex 6 
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Sc heme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers – Annex 6  Proforma letter of Rejection  
 
  
Your ref.   
Our ref. EEO/LB/32 
        
Tel. Fax.        Date 
 
 
Manufacturers/Importers/Agents 
       
 
 Dear Sir/Madam,  
Rejection of Application for Registration to Participate in 
Voluntary 
Energy Efficiency Labelling Sche me for Hot/Cold Bottled Water 
Dispensers 
 
With reference to your letter of application ref. __________________ dated ______________, I 
regret to inform you that your application for registration to participate in the scheme has not 
been accepted for the following reasons:- 
 
1. __________________________________________________etc.   You are most welcome to submit new application again in future, when you have the necessary 
documents / information to support your application.    
                 Yours faithfully, 
            
 
for Director of Electrical & Mechanical Services  
   Annex 7 
The Hong Kong Voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Sc heme for Hot/Cold Water Dispensers – Annex 7  Flow Chart for Registration  
 
 
 
 
      
 
     
 
      
 
      
 
     
 Commencement
of scheme 
Through
other  
channel 
Manufacturers
importers, 
agents 
Submit application 
& information 
(see annex 3,4) 
 
 
Application 
accepted 
? 
Accepted
(see annex 5)  
Register
participant 
RecordThrough 
invitation letter  
(see annex 2)  
Rejected 
(see annex 6)  
no 
yesProcess 
application