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Energy and Climate Change Ministers have agreed to multiple recommendations put forward to them by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and supported by the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program, on Friday 6 December 2024.

At the meeting of the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Ministers agreed to a determination (a regulatory instrument) that will introduce Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and quality requirements for in-scope Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps sold in Australia.

DCCEEW will oversee the implementation of the determination and will provide regular updates, including when:

• The determination is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation, which stipulates a 12-month transition period
• The regulation commences, or the date that models must be registered from for products to be sold in Australia.

Ministers also agreed to increase the MEPS that apply to liquid chilling packages (chillers) and to expand the scope of MEPS to include chillers with a capacity of 100 kilowatts or more.

The E3 Program is a joint initiative of the Australian Government, state and territory governments, and the New Zealand Government and has been in operation for over 20 years.

The Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (GEMS Act) is the underpinning legislation for the E3 Program in Australia.

The GEMS Act regulates the energy efficiency of certain appliances and equipment in Australia, while New Zealand implements this work through a separate national legislative framework.

Read more about the E3 Program.