You’re sure to have noticed a label on your appliances – the energy rating label – but what does it actually mean?
Appliances such as air conditioning units, computer monitors, dishwashers and refrigerators come with this Australian Government regulated efficiency label. As these appliances are often found in an office space, it’s worth understanding the importance of this label.
Energy rating label
Providing consumers with information about a product’s energy efficiency, the energy rating label is aimed at encouraging consumers to make more informed decisions when purchasing appliances. The Energy Efficiency label has been in operation for over 30 years, providing Australian consumers with important, unbiased information on energy consumption of appliances.
The number of stars on the energy label indicate how energy efficient the appliance is. Ratings come in whole or half star increments. The more stars, the more energy efficient the appliance. An appliance with a high energy star rating will generally run at a lower cost than one with a lower efficiency rating.
Star ratings are worked out differently for different appliances. The star rating of an appliance is determined from the energy consumption and size of the appliance. This rating shows consumers how much electricity the appliance will use compared to a range of models of similar size with similar features and capabilities.
By showing the energy performance of a particular appliance compared with others, the star rating can help you make the right purchase for your business. It’s important to consider the long-term value when buying an appliance for the office and the energy star rating label can help reveal the real cost of an office appliance.
In addition to the labeling system, the government also provides a comparator for some common appliances at https://www.energyrating.gov.au/calculator.
Energy consumption figure
As well as the star rating, something else you may find on the energy label of an appliance is the energy consumption figure.
While the energy star rating is about the energy efficiency of the appliance, the consumption figure tells you how much electricity the appliance uses. The amount of energy used by the appliance in one year with average use is estimated in kilowatt-hours, or kWh. The lower the energy consumption figure, the less power the appliance consumes.
While the consumption figure may help give you an expectation of what costs you can expect on your energy bills, it’s important to note that the energy rating does not individualise the cost to your specific use, and the number of times you use an appliance will impact its efficiency and the potential cost savings.
Buying energy efficient appliances
As the cost of electricity rises, the energy efficiency of your appliances can have a big impact on your business’ energy bills. Having multiple inefficient appliances can be very costly to your business.
Energy rating is an important consideration when buying office appliances. Running costs can quickly add up, and in many cases can outweigh the upfront purchase cost of a more efficient appliance. A more efficient appliance will require less electricity to achieve the same level of performance as similar models costing you less on your energy bills.
While investing in more energy efficient appliances may help you save money in the long term, as highly efficient appliances often come with a higher initial cost it’s worth considering how much you’ll use the appliance to determine if the cost trade-off is worth it for your business.
The less energy an appliance uses, the less it will cost you to run, which is why buying energy efficient appliances is so important for your business. Check out our blog on how to choose the most energy efficient equipment for your office for more energy saving tips.