Understanding the appliance rating scheme

When looking to buy an appliance you should compare the size, features, price and running costs. For electric and natural gas appliances the energy rating label provides a useful guide for buyers. It shows how energy efficient the appliance is and how much electricity or natural gas it uses each year. The energy rating label for airconditioners shows energy use per hour rather than annual cost.

The aim of Energy Rating labels is to:

• encourage buyers to select an appliance that uses the least energy for the service the appliance is required to perform
• enable buyers to take into consideration the annual energy cost of operating an appliance, and also its total (life cycle) cost
• encourage manufacturers and importers to improve the energy efficiency of products that they supply to the market.

What electrical appliances carry an energy rating label?

You'll find energy rating labels on:

• refrigerators
• freezers
• dishwashers
• washing machines
• clothes dryers
• heat pumps (with output capacities up to 7.5 kW)

What natural gas appliances carry an energy rating label? Energy rating labels also appear on: natural gas space (room) heaters natural gas ducted heaters (central heating) Natural gas water heaters

What about ratings for appliances that use water?

Domestic devices account for about 80 per cent of all portable water use in urban Australia. The water rating label is a voluntary scheme that measures the water used by an appliance to achieve a set performance level. The maximum rating is five shaded As. The scheme currently covers washing machines, dishwashers, showerheads, toilets, flow regulators and taps.