Steplight

New energy labelling rules have been introduced to drive further improvements in household refrigerator and air conditioning efficiency in Australia. For refrigerators, the changes will mean a roughly 2 star decrease in energy star rating for units currently on the market. This will, in turn, encourage greater efficiency as manufacturers work to get their products back into the 3 to 5 star range deemed ‘more acceptable’ by consumers.

This is great news for households in the face of ever rising electricity costs. The star rating scheme has proven to be a great mechanism to drive improvements, however, without effective behaviour change and education programs on the ground, it could end up being a case of “two steps forward one step back.” As remarked in the decision paper, although these changes will have a real impact they are somewhat offset by sustained growth in residential energy consumption:

Refrigerators and freezers are estimated to make up 13.4% of residential electricity consumption in Australia in 2005. However, this is set to decrease to 9.3% in 2020, as a result of increased energy efficiency from the MEPS [Minimum Energy Performance Standards] and labelling program, as well as growth in electricity consumption of other end uses.

- Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee Decision Regulatory Impact Statement – Household Refrigerators and Freezers

The changes for Air Conditioners (also to be phased in from April 2010) are even more substantial:

…a product that currently rates 2.5 stars for heating will rate 1 star under the new algorithm… Similarly, a product that rates 6 stars for cooling will rate 2.5 stars under the new algorithm

- Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee – Regulatory Impact Statement – Consultation Draft Revision to the Energy Labelling Algorithms and Revised MEPS levels and Other Requirements for Air Conditioners

More information about the energy rating scheme’s regulatory requirements can be found here.