EECA helps you meet your obligations

Manufacturers, importers and retailers have a duty to comply with product Regulations.

EECA facilitates this by:

  • Education and support – Presentations and newsletters to industry and consumer programmes to help understand the Act. Publication of results and responses to compliance monitoring activities, offences, contraventions, and adverse activities.
  • Assisted compliance – Monitoring such as labelling surveys and site visits, and product check testing.
  • Proactive compliance – Responding to those who opportunistically or deliberately contravene the legislation.
  • Responsive interventions – We may impose proportionate sanctions, warnings or directions.
  • Enforcement – Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to $10,000 per offence (per product).

We focus on risk

“Risk” means the level of harm that would result if our regulations are breached, and the likelihood of that occurring. We use data to profile risk, evaluate need, and target action. Initiatives and interventions focus on groups with the greatest need and risk.

Product testing programme

EECA runs a programme to test regulated products sold in New Zealand to check if:

  • Products comply with Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), and/or Mandatory Energy Performance Labelling (MEPL) requirements.
  • Product performance meets the manufacturer’s/importer’s claims.

Product testing process

  1. 1

    Initial screening

    EECA selects then purchases products and sends them to an independent, internationally-accredited laboratory. The lab conducts testing and produces a report with the raw data, test method, and pass or fail result. EECA reviews the test report and notifies the manufacturer/importer of the results.

  2. 2

    Further testing of products that fail

    If the product fails the first round of testing, EECA purchases more units of the same product and sends them to the lab for a second round of testing. These test reports may be peer reviewed by an expert to ensure robust testing procedure and reporting.

  3. 3

    Enforcement action on failed products

    Testing failures in the second round can result in compliance or enforcement action against the manufacturer/importer. This action can include a formal warning to rectify, withdrawal of the product from the market, reparation to consumers, prosecution, and fines of up to $10,000 per product. Testing pass and fail results are published on EECA’s website.

Supplier Panel of Accredited Laboratories

Laboratories appointed to our Check Testing Supplier Panel for 2020 – 2024 are listed below:

  • Vipac Engineers and Scientists Ltd
  • Australian Consumers Association trading as Choice
  • Comtest Laboratories Pty. Ltd
  • Andrew Baghurst Pty. Ltd trading as Caltest
  • UL GmbH
  • Intertek Testing Services Ltd., Shanghai
  • The Australian Gas Association Limited
  • ACT NZ Limited trading as Auckland Lab
  • Powerlab Limited

Import data

EECA has access to import data for regulated products and their importers/manufacturers under an information disclosure agreement with the New Zealand Customs Service.

We use the data to work with importers/manufacturers in meeting their obligations under the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 and monitor compliance.