THE Sustainability Achieved via Energy Efficiency (SAVE) 3.0 programme has received overwhelming response from the public since its inception.
The programme was launched in January 2022 by the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) Malaysia.
According to SEDA Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Hamzah Hussin, the programme recorded purchases of 180,000 energy-efficient electrical appliances, along with RM35 million in e-rebates.
In comparison, the previous SAVE 2.0 programme recorded sales of 130,000 units and RM26 million in e-rebates.
The success of the SAVE 3.0 programme is a result of a joint effort between the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, SEDA Malaysia and related agencies to promote it through various media platforms.
The implementation of the SAVE 3.0 programme not only contributes towards the environment, but is also aligned with the government's direction of achieving a carbon neutral country by 2050.
The SAVE programme, first launched in 2011, is a government initiative within the framework of the Entry Point Project 9 strategy under the Key Economic Outcomes which focuses on increasing the impact of energy efficiency in Malaysia.
It aims to raise awareness among the public and encourage them to buy energy-efficient appliances that reduce electric consumption, especially for domestic consumers.
Appliances that are classified as energy saving are awarded with four or five star energy efficiency labels from the Energy Commission.
The SAVE programme offers:
- Rebates for domestic households for every purchase of refrigerators and air conditioners with the five star energy efficiency label from the Energy Commission
- Rebates for building owners who have implemented the conversion of existing inefficient chillers to energy-efficient ones (limited to electric chillers only).
The SAVE 3.0 programme introduced two different categories for electrical appliances with four or five star labels:
- Category 1: Air conditioners and refrigerators
- Category 2: Televisions, washing machines, microwave ovens and rice cookers
In a nutshell, the large selection of energy-efficient products and easy access to e-rebate redemptions were the main reasons for the SAVE 3.0 programme's success.
Each household could either use the e-rebates online through e-commerce sites like Shopee, Lazada, PG Mall and YouBeli, or in person at any of the 1,400 electrical appliance stores nationwide that are registered with SEDA Malaysia.
The SAVE 3.0 programme has been successful in increasing the overall availability of 4- and 5-star energy-efficient electrical appliances.
It also helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 76,000 tonnes.
For more information about the SAVE programme, visit SEDA Malaysia's website.