Energy ratings

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Energy rating labels provide consumers with information on the energy efficiency of a range of appliances. The more stars, the more energy efficient the product is compared to other models in its category.

The Australian Government continues to work with industry and state and territory governments to extend the Energy Rating Label to cover more household and commercial products, and reduce electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from those products.

Electrical appliances

Energy Rating Label

The Energy Rating Label is part of the Australian Government’s Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program.

The Energy Rating Label is displayed on:

air conditioners
clothes dryers
clothes washers
computer monitors
dishwashers
fridges and freezers
pool pumps
TVs

The Energy Rating Label may be displayed as a 6-star label, a ‘super efficiency’ 10-star label for appliances rated at 7 or higher, or as a 10-star label for swimming pool pumps.

The energy consumption figure shows an estimate of how much energy the appliance uses each year.

In addition to the Energy Rating Label, dishwashers and clothes washing machines must also display a Water Rating Label to indicate comparative water efficiency.

Zoned Energy Rating Label

There is a Zoned Energy Rating Label for domestic single phase, non-ducted air conditioners. The Zoned Energy Rating Label provides a seasonal efficiency rating for 3 distinct climate zones across Australia. This provides you with more useful information about which air conditioner to buy and allows you to select a product that will operate more efficiently in your region.

Natural gas appliances

Gas heaters are not covered by an Energy Rating Label developed through the Australian Government’s E3 Program. Certain gas heaters carry a different gas appliances energy rating label, as part of a product certification process regulated by state and territory gas technical and safety regulators.

Appliances without star ratings

For products without energy ratings, find out their energy usage and compare with similar products.

Some imported products have the American ENERGY STAR label. This scheme is supported by the US Government. ENERGY STAR rated products include certain computers, TVs, printers and media players.

Estimate running costs

Electrical appliances with a star rating label

To estimate how much an electrical appliance with a star rating will cost to run each year, multiply the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) a year (the number on the Energy Rating Label) by your electricity rate. The rate you pay is shown on your electricity bill.

The following examples for a 55 inch TV show how much you could sav by buying a 7 star TV instead of a 3 star TV. The examples use a rate of 28 cents ($0.28) per kWh as an estimate of electricity costs.

A TV with a 7-star label of 213 kWh a year × $0.28 can cost around $60 a year to run.
A TV with a 3-star label of 520 kWh per year × $0.28 can cost around $146 a year to run.

To estimate the lifetime running cost of an appliance or TV, multiply the annual cost by 10 years (the average lifespan of most major appliances before they need replacing).

In this scenario, choosing the more energy-efficient TV could save you $860 over a 10-year period.

Example savings are indicative only, with data sourced from the energyrating.gov.au website using the Energy Rating Calculator.

Electric appliances without a star rating label

The key steps to reducing electricity use require identifying how much energy is being used and looking at your usage habits.

Estimate the running cost of new or existing appliances and technology by following a simple calculation.

Using a portable electric heater as an example:

1. Find out how much you pay for a unit of electricity.

This information is on your electricity bill. If you don't have a bill handy, contact your energy retailer.

2. Find out how much input power the product uses in kilowatts.

The 'input' power is usually marked on the packaging or in the manufacturer's information in 'watts' (W).You will need to convert this to ‘kilowatts’(kW) to calculate your energy consumption, by dividing the power in watts by 1000.

2000W of electricity: 2000W ÷ 1000 = 2kW

3. Estimate hourly running cost.

Multiply the input power in kW by the price of your electricity per kilowatt hour (kWh) to determine the hourly running cost. For this example, we use 28 cents ($0.28) per kWh.

2kW × $0.28 per kWh = $0.56 an hour

4. Estimate daily running cost.

To estimate the daily running cost, multiply the hourly running cost by the number of hours you use the appliance each day. For this example, we use the appliance for five hours each day.

$0.56 × 5 hours = $2.8 a day

5. Estimate yearly running cost.

To estimate the yearly running cost, multiply the daily running cost by the typical number of days you use the appliance each year. For this example, we use the appliance for 100 days.

$2.8 a day × 100 days = $280 a year