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Consumer Research to Guide the Next Round of Refrigerator and Air Conditioner Labels - Final Report (400 kB)
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From 1986 in NSW and Victoria refrigerators and freezers have been labelled with the distinctive red, yellow, black and white energy rating label. From 1992 the labelling system became national, with New Zealand joining in 2002. The aim of the initiative is to cut electricity consumption in the residential market, and encourage more efficient models into the marketplace.
This label has given consumers the ability to choose an appliance for its energy efficiency, as well as for other considerations such as price and function.
In 1999 energy efficiency gains were improved for refrigerators and freezers by adding minimum energy performance standards (MEPS). These standards were introduced to ensure that only the best performing appliances were available and models that didn't meet the standards were removed from the market.
Manufacturer's have embraced these standards and over the years continued to improve the energy efficiencies of their refrigerators and freezers.
However, as these appliances have improved the most energy efficient models have bunched up at the higher end of the energy rating star system. This has resulted in little difference between the most energy efficient models, so that the label has become less useful to consumers.
To achieve a better spread of energy efficient products a regrading of the energy rating star system was introduced in 2005 and once again this will need to occur in 2009. This means that in some cases a previously graded 4 star model may move back to 2 or 2.5 stars. Since the regrading in 2005 refrigerators and freezers have recorded, a massive 30 per cent cut in energy consumption (on average).
To aid in this upcoming regrading activity a research study was prepared in October 2007 by Winton Sustainable Research Strategies under contract to the Equipment Energy Efficiency committee (E3).
The purpose of the study was to gauge consumer and retailer attitudes to the regrading and how they would translate to labels for refrigerators and freezers, scheduled for October 2009, and October 2010 for air-conditioners.
The report is based on a series of six focus group studies of consumers and 15 in-depth interviews with retailers conducted in June and July 2007 in Australia and New Zealand.
The report found that with existing stock there was a clear preference for retention of the current label and addition of a new label with a different coloured lower band and additional messages of 'revised star rating' and 'from 2009'. For new stock, interviewees wanted the new label.
This research is a valuable aid to further consultation with consumers and industry on the next round of regrading of the energy rating label for these white goods.
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