Energy Rating Labels

Energy Rating Labels are designed to help you make an energy-wise choice when buying new appliances. Labels help you to work out how much energy an appliance will consume in a year of normal service, and make it easy to compare the energy efficiency of different models.

You can also compare the energy efficiency of products at the Energy Rating Australia website. If you’ve found a product for sale that isn’t on the list please let us know by emailing us .

Star rating

Each extra star means an extra 10 per cent or more saving in running costs.

Many top models have four or more stars.

Some appliances have more than one ‘band’ of stars. Air conditioners have blue for cooling and red for heating performance, washing machines and dishwashers have red for warm washes and blue for cold washes.

If you’re comparing models for energy efficiency, they need to be similar in capacity and features.

The lower the number, the more you save

The number in the box shows how many kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity the appliance typically uses in a year. The lower the number, the less the model costs you in power bills and the more it helps the environment.

You can use the energy consumption number to estimate annual running costs. Multiply the number in the box by your electricity tariff (including GST). This is usually about 16 cents per kWh
i.e. 640 x 0.16 = $102. You’ll find your electricity tariff, or unit cost, on your electricity bill.

To estimate the lifetime running cost, multiply the annual running cost by 10 (most whiteware has an estimated lifetime of 10 to 12-years). This is like a second price tag, showing ongoing running costs on top of the purchase price.