Household refrigerating appliances (fridges/freezers)

The New Zealand Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002 have been amended and these changes will come into force on 1 May 2026.

View the Amendment Regulations(external link)

This amendment is to align the New Zealand requirements with the Australian Government’s Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Household Refrigerating Appliances) Determination 2019.

View the Australian Determination(external link)

The transitional arrangements are different between Australia and New Zealand, including Energy Rating Label requirements. 

Products imported or manufactured in New Zealand from 1 May 2026, must be supplied with and display the new Energy Rating Label. This is different to Australia where the old Energy Rating Label may be used until the registration expires. 

The Amendment Regulations include increased Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), and a new Energy Rating Label (Mandatory Energy Performance Labelling, MEPL).

Until 1 May 2026:

• Household refrigerating appliances can be imported and supplied without meeting the Amendment Regulations requirements, but must meet pre-amendment Regulations requirements including:
  • MEPS,
  • MEPL, and
  • Registration.
• You can voluntarily meet the Amendment Regulations requirements including MEPS, MEPL, and registration.
• Registration to the:
  • Pre-amendment Regulations is available.
  • Amendment Regulations is available.

From 1 May 2026:

• All product registrations to the pre-amendment Regulations (AS/NZS 4474.2:2009) will be superseded. A superseded registration means that existing stock already in New Zealand can be supplied after 1 May 2026.
• To import or manufacture in New Zealand and supply new units, they must meet the requirements of the Amendment Regulations including MEPS, MEPL, and registration.
• If the product is registered in Australia, then it does not have to be registered in New Zealand, however the product must meet the New Zealand MEPS and MEPL requirements unless the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA) is being used. View the TTMRA
• There will no longer be the ability to register products using the pre-amendment Regulations form (AS/NZ 4474.2:2009). 

The rest of this page explains the new requirements.

If you have any questions about the regulations, contact us at star@eeca.govt.nz

There have been a number of changes:

• Change of scope to clarify wine storage appliances, and bar fridges
• International test methods have been adopted
• New MEPS levels and assessment criteria
• New Energy Rating Label calculation to better reflect real world energy consumption
• Clarification on displaying the Energy Rating Label on packaged products on display.

MEPS and MEPL covers:

• Fridges, freezers, and fridge/freezers as specified by product class regardless of the context in which the product is used, or
• Fridges, freezers, and fridge/freezers which have a wine storage compartment(s), or
• Bar fridges
• If the product is designed to contain perishable foods such as milk or cheese then it is considered to be within the scope of regulation.

MEPS and MEPL do not apply to:

• Portable products that are 12 volt or 24 volt DC and:
  • chest configuration, or
  • upright and have a volume less than 80 litres
• Standalone wine storage cabinets that are:
  • exclusively for the storage and/or the maturation of wine
  • have shelving specifically designed for wine
  • the capability to maintain a nominated temperature between 5 and 20°C.
• Products that are exclusively used in vehicles
• Glass door beverage coolers (these are covered under the refrigerated cabinets products class where MEPS requirements are explained)
• Products that have a total volume of less than 30 litres where the refrigeration function is secondary, such as boiled and cooled water dispensers
• Products that have no options for connection to a 230 volt or 400 volt mains electricity supply at 50 Hz
• Stand-alone ice-makers
• Products that cool using technologies other than the vapour compression cycle.

The MEPS requirement for household refrigerating appliances is a maximum estimated yearly energy consumption that must not be exceeded under test conditions.

The maximum estimated yearly energy consumption is adjusted depending on type of product and volume.

The MEPS levels are listed in section 4.2 of AS/NZS 4474:2018 + A1.

All household refrigerating appliances are required to be supplied with an Energy Rating Label (ERL) and displayed on the appliance in store. 

Household refrigerating appliances imported from 1 May 2026 must be supplied with the new ERL, which is different to the labelling requirements in Australia which allows the use of the old ERL until their registration expires. 

The Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA) may apply. 

View the TTMRA requirements

The Amendment Regulations include labelling requirements for packaged products when they are displayed. See clause 6.1 of AS/NZS 4474:2018 + A1.

View the new and old Energy Rating Labels

View the Mandatory Energy Performance Labelling guide [PDF 742 KB]

The full testing requirements are listed in the Regulations

View the testing requirements(external link)

• AS/NZS 4474:2018 + A1: Household refrigerating appliances - Energy labelling and minimum energy performance standards requirements, which references
  • AS/NZS IEC 62552.1:2018 + A1: Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 1: General requirements
  • AS/NZS IEC 62552.2:2018 + A1: Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 2: Performance requirements
  • AS/NZS IEC 62552.3:2018 + A1: Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 3: Energy consumption and volume
• Additionally, IEC 62552:2015 parts 1 to 3 can also be used:
  • IEC 62552.1:2015 + A1 +A2: Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 1: General requirements
  • IEC 62552.2:2015 + A1 + A2: Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 2: Performance requirements
  • IEC 62552.3:2015 + A1 + A2: Household refrigerating appliances - Characteristics and test methods - Part 3: Energy consumption and volume