Energy efficiency
About energy efficiency
Manufacturers and importers’ responsibilities
Application procedures
About energy efficiency
Energy labelling of domestic white goods and air-conditioners, and registration of applicable equipment for Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), is mandatory throughout Australia.
The Energy Efficiency Program applies to:
- refrigerators (excluding wine cellars)
- freezers
- clothes washers
- clothes dryers
- dishwashers
- all single phase domestic air-conditioners
- fluorescent ballasts
- power transformers
- fluorescent lamps
- commercial refrigerators.
All new domestic appliances that are required to have energy labelling must have the energy label registered and on display before they are offered for sale.
Information on energy efficient appliances and lists of current equipment registered for energy labelling and MEPS are available at Energy Rating Australia (non-Queensland Government link).
Manufacturers and importers’ responsibilities
It is an offence to display for sale or offer for sale or sell new electrical equipment that is required to have an energy label and does not have that label displayed. These requirements are regulated in the Electricity Regulation 2006 (PDF, 843 KB). Chapter 6.
The product must be registered with a Government regulator. To do this the application procedures must be followed.
If the product is suitable the product will be registered. A letter of registration will be sent and the product will be listed on the Energy Rating Australia so that all consumers can view the details.
Once approval has been granted, the manufacturer or importer arranges for the Energy Rating Label to be attached to the model. Replacement labels are supplied to retailers by the manufacturer or importer where needed.
Energy Rating Australia has more information for manufacturers and importers on energy labelling and the MEPS schemes, including details of the Australian standards applicable for testing and calculations used in labelling and MEPS requirements.
Application procedures
Application forms
There is an application form for each type of domestic appliance and MEPS equipment. These are available for downloading through the Energy Rating Australia (non-Queensland Government link) website.
Applications can be submitted online. This is preferred however special access must be arranged through the Energy Rating Australia.
When applications are submitted online, test reports and labels will need to be forwarded to the Electrical Safety Office for verification.
Applications can be lodged manually direct to the Electrical Safety Office.
To have a product registered for Energy labelling or MEPS you must:
- For online application
- Register with Energy Rating Australia if not already registered
- Log on to Energy Rating Australia (non-Queensland Government link)
- Complete the application (note: for regulator choose QLD)
- Submit the application electronically (attach test report and sample label if appropriate)
- If you send a test report and label via post ensure the record ID for your application has been listed on the document sent
- Send payment
- For offline application
- Complete the application form (available online or in the appropriate standard)
- Send application form, test report, label (if applicable) and payment to Electrical Safety Office.
Test reports
The test report submitted with the application may be from a recognised laboratory and must have been carried out within three years of the application date.
If a non NATA test report is utilised, it is the responsibility of the registrant to be satisfied as to the validity of the report. A check testing regime is in place to randomly test equipment to ensure the validity of results supplied.
Penalties for incorrect submission
If non valid data is found to have been part of the submission (from check-testing or the like) the submitter can be liable for prosecution by regulators in each state that the product is sold and also sanction by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Energy rating labels
For those products requiring an energy rating label, a production Energy Rating Label or suitable facsimile must be submitted with each application.
Fees
The schedule fees are:
| Application for registration of an efficiency label | $162.40 |
| Application for change to a registered efficiency label | $162.40 |
| Application for transfer of registration of an efficiency Label | $54.15 |
| Inspection of the efficiency label register | $10.75 |
| Copy of one entry in efficiency label register | $21.60 |
GST does not apply.
Cheques should be made payable to the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. Payment can be made by credit card by contacting the Electrical Safety Office.
Last updated 22 July 2009
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