Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — A number of electric shops in Jeddah have started selling energy inefficient air-conditioners for low prices behind the Commerce Ministry's back, Makkah daily reported Tuesday. The ministry had banned the selling of air-conditioners that are not energy efficient as part of its efforts to save power. The banned air-conditioners consist of window units that carry an energy rating of less than three stars and split ones that are rated less than four stars. According to the ministry, the old air-conditioners consume more electricity and do not meet the specifications of the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO). They are now being sold secretly for SR900 instead of their old prices of around SR1,200. A salesman in one of these shops who called himself Majed said they have withdrawn all old units from their shop and stored them in a warehouse to sell them secretly to interested buyers at a 25 percent discount. “There are no faults with these equipment; they work properly and have a five-year warranty but they have been banned by the ministry only because they consume more energy,” he said. Another salesman, who called himself Saad, said his shop was selling 18,000 units for SR750 each instead of their old price of SR1,000. Faleh Al-Otaibi, a trader in home appliances, said the ministry's decision to ban inefficient air conditioners has increased the price of energy efficient units by SR400 to SR500. He said as a result of the ministry's decision, imports of energy efficient air conditioners will go up as future demand rises, especially in the summer. “We have already contacted local and foreign producers to supply us with more energy efficient air-conditioners,” he said. Al-Otaibi said a large number of traders were hurt by the Commerce Ministry's decision as they have huge quantities of banned units. “There is no technical or manufacturing fault in these air-conditioners, which may have a 7-year warranty, but we have to withdraw them from the market based on the ministry's decision,” he said. Al-Otaibi said he asked the ministry to find a solution for investors hurt most by its decision. “The ministry simply asked us to stop selling the old equipment,” he said. Fahd Al-Jalajil, the ministry's undersecretary for consumer affairs, said any merchant found to be selling old air-conditioners would be fined SR1 million, name and shamed in the local media and referred to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution on charges of selling fake products to consumers. He said the ministry had recently confiscated about 40,000 energy inefficient units.
