Labelled A Success
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday November 22, 1990
IMPROVEMENTS of up to 40 per cent in the energy efficiency of some Australian-made domestic appliances - notably refrigerator/freezers - have been made in the past three years.
They are due directly to a scheme introduced in NSW and Victoria, which makes it compulsory for all new models in a range of appliances to have labels showing their energy rating.
The two States require labelling of all dishwashers, air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers - but Victoria has added clothes dryers and washing machines to the list, with heaters to come next year.
Energy rating is a measure of energy consumption that readily enables the average annual running cost to be calculated. With refrigerators a rating of, say 810, means the appliance uses about 810 kWh a year, and costs (at 10 cents per kWh) $81 a year.
The improvements show the scheme has been a roaring success in making Australian manufacturers far more competitive, and in many cases achieving energy ratings well below those of imports.
So marked is the local dominance in refrigerator energy efficiency that eight of 12 Victorian Government "Galaxy" awards for the highest-efficiency refrigerator/freezers on the market have gone to Australian-made products.
You can save hundreds of dollars a year - and cut greenhouse emissions - by choosing the most energy-efficient appliances. Data from the labelling scheme shows your power bill can be cut by $47 a year with the most energy-efficient air conditioner, $130 with the best refrigerator, $10 with a clothes dryer, and $44 with a dishwasher.
The energy labelling of clothes dryers has resulted in a 20 per cent cent improvement in locally made clothes dryers, according to Paul Ryan, energy conservation officer for the Victorian State Electricity Commission.
"The energy efficiency of other locally made appliances has also improved -we have just registered the first five-star (or very high efficiency)dishwasher made in Australia," he said.
Mr Ian Lincoln, spokesman for the Email refrigeration manufacturer, said: "Energy labelling has made local manufacturers very conscious of the need to improve efficiency - they are leapfrogging one another now with improvements.
So where do you get the data listing all brands, along with star ratings(six stars for the most efficient, one for the least).
In NSW that can be a tough job unless you simply wander around an appliance showroom, comparing energy ratings. You can't get the crucial free pamphlets giving energy ratings on the entire range of products as freely as you can in Victoria where consumers are bombarded with such information at every point of sale.
But don't despair - a free booklet giving the energy ratings of all appliances is now being compiled by the Australian Consumers Association for the Federal Government, which plans to send it to all households.
© 1990 Sydney Morning Herald