Appliances and the Environment - About the reach for the stars program

Appliances and the Environment

What has my appliance got to do with greenhouse gas emissions?

In Australia, energy use is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions, with 55% of total emissions generated by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal to provide electricity. These greenhouse gases are causing climate change, known as global warming. With Australian households accounting for almost 20 % of our national greenhouse gas emissions, efficient appliances can play a major role in reducing our emissions.

In fact, Australians would save about $29 million on their energy bills and prevent some 200,000 tonnes of harmful greenhouse gases entering the environment by purchasing high star rated appliances - the equivalent of taking about 44,000 cars off the road.

Doing your bit for the Environment

Your decision to purchase an energy efficient appliance can make a significant difference to greenhouse gas emissions. For example, an energy-efficient fridge may save up to six tonnes of greenhouse gas over its lifetime.

That's why it makes good sense to choose an appliance that uses the least amount of energy to do the job you want. So, when you are choosing an appliance, consider looks, features, capacity and style, but make sure you think about energy efficiency and running costs too.

If we can reduce the amount of electricity required to run electrical appliances and reduce the amount of gas used to run gas appliances, we can have a significant impact on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

It's as simple as checking the Energy Rating label before you buy a gas or electrical appliance.

There is an Energy Rating label for both gas and electrical appliances. The labels for electrical and gas appliances look different but both provide appliance consumers with an easy way to compare energy efficiency of different models.

Electrical appliances required to display an Energy Rating label are air conditioners, clothes dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and freezers.

Gas appliances required to display an Energy Rating label are gas space heaters (room heaters), gas ducted heaters (central heating) and gas water heaters.

Both the gas and electric Energy Rating labels rate the energy efficiency of the appliance on a scale of one to six stars. The more stars, the more energy efficient it is. Efficient products use less electricity or gas to achieve the same level of performance of similar models with the same size and capacity.

Although the Energy Rating labels for electrical and gas work on the same principle it is not possible to make comparisons between electric and gas appliances as the appliances have been tested under different conditions.

Sometimes a high star rated model can cost a little more to purchase, but the savings on your energy bill can make up the difference in just a few years. If you're not sure which appliance is right for you, ask a store salesperson to show you the top energy performers.

So remember to 'Reach for the Stars' the next time you shop for a new appliance. It's an easy way to save money and you'll be doing the environment a big favour.

This page last modified 27 June 2007