RIYADH: As concerns grow about the effects of climate change worldwide, the effort to improve energy efficiency is an increasingly important global issue. But how can consumers know whether appliances, vehicles or other equipment they own or are considering buying live up to claims about their efficiency? In Saudi Arabia, the award-winning Taakkad app can help. Designed by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, also known as SASO, it allows consumers verify the validity of a product’s Saudi Quality Mark, which denotes that the product and its manufacturing process meets the organization’s requirements. In addition, the app can be used to check that the information about energy efficiency and fuel efficiency on labels provided with items such as appliances, vehicles and tires matches the information in the SASO database, and to compare the energy efficiency ratings of similar products. FAST FACT The app, which won an innovation award this year, help consumers verify manufacturers’ energy efficiency claims. The app is available free for iOS and Android devices. Users can choose to check the quality mark or the energy efficiency data for various types of products, including electrical appliances, vehicles, tires and lighting. All they have to do is use their device’s camera to scan the QR code printed on the product’s energy efficiency label. If the product is registered in the SASO database, the official information is displayed and users can compare this with the information supplied with the item. If the information on the label does not match the SASO data, the discrepancy can be reported through the app. At the Arab Energy Efficiency Day competition in May, Taakkad won an award for the most innovative use of smart technologies in service of energy efficiency. In 2018, Taakkad received Gulf Customer Experience Awards in two categories: Best Government Use of Digital and Best Use of Mobile Applications during the ceremony in Dubai organized by the Customer Experience Professionals Association. Saudi authorities say the success and recognition of the app is a reflection of work in the field of digital transformation to take advantage of modern technologies to enhance efforts to preserve the environment, improve energy efficiency and enable consumers to play a part in national efforts to rationalize energy consumption.