SON Urges Nigerians to Check Energy Labels Before Buying Electrical Appliances

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged Nigerians to check energy labels on electrical appliances before purchasing them, saying the practice could help consumers make informed decisions and reduce electricity expenses.

The Director-General of SON, Ifeanyi Okeke, gave the advice on Saturday in Abuja during the 2026 World Standards Day celebration, themed “Standards: Vision for a Better World, Spotlight on SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy.”

Okeke explained that the organisation’s Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme and Minimum Energy Performance Standards, known as SONMEL, was designed to provide reliable information about the energy performance of electrical and electronic products.

He noted that consumers who selected appliances solely on the basis of their initial prices risked spending more on electricity over time, particularly when purchasing products with higher energy consumption.

Using light bulbs as an example, the SON chief said cheaper products might ultimately prove more expensive because of the amount of electricity they consumed during use.

He explained that energy labels enabled consumers to compare the energy performance of appliances and identify products that could offer greater savings over their useful lives.

Okeke acknowledged that manufacturers might face financial and technological challenges when transitioning from existing production systems to more energy-efficient technologies. Such changes, he said, could require investments in equipment, staff training, research and development.

However, he maintained that manufacturers needed to embrace more efficient production methods, arguing that the transition did not necessarily mean higher long-term production costs.

The SON director-general also urged marketers, traders and business owners to stock and sell products bearing appropriate SON certification marks, which indicate compliance with approved quality and safety standards.

He said the organisation was working to make its certification marks easier for consumers to recognise and had introduced digital services to improve access to standards information and product authentication.

Also speaking at the event, the President of the Female Farmers Apex Cooperative Society, Dr Maimuna Habib, called for greater access to affordable clean-energy technologies for women involved in agriculture, livestock production and market trading.

Habib said access to reliable energy, including solar-powered refrigeration and clean-energy processing equipment, could help women farmers reduce post-harvest losses, preserve food quality, improve productivity and increase their incomes.

She emphasised that affordable and reliable energy solutions were essential to improving agricultural output and supporting the economic activities of women across the country.