MEDIA RELEASE

DATE: 24 June 2020

RE: NRCS issues a stern warning against the illegal trade practice of Geysers

The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) has been inundated with complaints on the sale and advertisement of second hand/refurbished geysers that do not comply with the applicable technical regulation (VC 9006) for hot water storage tanks for domestic use. In response, the Regulator conducted inspections and discovered a surge in the illegal selling of refurbished geysers.

All geysers, new and modified, must conform with the safety and labeling requirements as outlined in the technical regulation before being offered for sale. It is therefore required of any business trading in these products to submit an application for approval of sale to the NRCS.

Through this process, an applicant, importer or manufacturer of a regulated products is required to submit a sample of a product and a full test report acquired from an accredited testing facility for examination, testing or evaluation to determine compliance with the relevant compulsory specifications that are in force before the Letter of Authority Certificate (LOA) is issued.

The Regulator assesses the evidence of conformity supplied by the applicant and grant approval when the mandatory requirements have been met. This is rigorous administrative and technical process which is followed to ensure that no LOA Certificates are issued to unscrupulous traders, manufactures or importers.

All industry players, contractors, insurance companies and other interested parties are therefore warned not to manufacture or sell non-compliant second hand or refurbished geysers if not approved by the NRCS.

Non-compliant products are hazardous and can cause harm to consumers. Similarly, faulty geysers can easily explode or cause an electric shock when used and are also not energy efficient.

Research has indicated that geysers account for up to 39% of household electricity bills and it is hoped that the enforcement of the regulation by the NRCS will decrease the energy demand and bring much needed relief to consumers who are feeling the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Suppliers and manufacturers shall ensure that the product’s energy consumption information is provided on the label and dealers must ensure that they affix the supplied label on the outside of displayed products and ensure that potential end-users are provided with product energy efficiency class and energy consumption data before purchase.

The NRCS would also like to urge South African consumers to be alert and request sellers to produce proof of compliance (LOA) for products before they purchase them.

Enforcing VC 9006 is in line with the NRCS’s mandate of protecting human health, safety, the environment and ensuring fair trade as well as rooting out non-compliant products in the market.

For media interviews, please contact Mirriam Moswaane on 012 482 8826 / 083 364 2007 and for technical queries please contact Bongani Khanyile on 012 482 8886

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL REGULATOR FOR COMPULSORY SPECIFICATIONS (NRCS).