Regional Market Assessment of Household Refrigerator in ASEAN

Summary

As household refrigeration becomes increasingly essential across Southeast Asia, the ASEAN region is seeing a surge in demand driven by urbanisation, rising disposable incomes, and shifting consumer lifestyles—trends accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report provides an in-depth assessment of the household refrigerator market in ASEAN, focusing on market demand, energy consumption, and the potential for energy savings through energy-efficient technologies. In 2023, around 10.9 million refrigerators were sold, led by Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. With refrigerators projected to account for 12.7% of total residential energy consumption by 2050, promoting energy-efficient models is key to addressing the region’s energy challenges.

The report highlights the role of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and labelling, comparing two common approaches: Annual Energy Consumption (AEC) and Energy Efficiency Factor (EEF). Singapore enforces the strictest MEPS in the region, while Thailand adopts a more lenient standard. Estimated annual energy savings of 1,087–2,226 GWh could be realised under various intervention scenarios. However, challenges remain, including limited data availability, variations in national testing standards, and the lack of regional laboratory infrastructure. The harmonisation of MEPS and improved data collection will be crucial to accelerating energy efficiency in ASEAN’s growing refrigerator market.