EXPANDED NATIONAL LEGISLATION FOR APPLIANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY - NOW OPEN FOR CONSULTATION

A six week consultation is now taking place for new legislation which will allow Australian, state and territory governments to significantly expand and accelerate energy efficiency for appliances and equipment in the future.

Submissions are welcome by 1 March 2010 in response to the consultation regulation impact statement available for download on this page which outlines the costs and benefits of a range of design features and legislative models.

Interested parties may also like to attend one of the stakeholder information forums taking place around the country in the week commencing 10 February 2010. A program of events is available on this page.

In addition to exploring opportunities to improve and streamline the existing appliance energy efficiency program, the Consultation RIS weighs up the advantages of:

An easier regulatory environment for governments, retailers and manufacturers with more national consistency, more efficient implementation, control of product imports and stronger compliance and enforcement;
An expanded energy efficiency program allowing for the inclusion of non-electricity-using products such as insulation, products using other energy types such as natural gas and products with environmental impacts not related to energy such as mercury in light bulbs;
Additional practical information for consumers allowing for the inclusion of labels or ratings on product advertising and over time the possible inclusion of greenhouse gas labelling and intensity standards; and
The collection of mandatory industry reporting on imports, sales and supplies.

This consultation is the first step in a commitment by the Council of Australian Governments, through the release of a National Strategy on Energy Efficiency in July 2009, to look at new national legislation for minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and energy labelling.

Documents for Download

The full document is available as a PDF file. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view it. The Adobe Reader is a free product.

Download PDF version Consultation Regulation Impact Statement: National Legislation for Appliance and Equipment Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and Energy Labelling - January 2010 (615kB)

A series of consultation forums have been held in cities around Australia between 10-19 February 2010 to assist stakeholders to finalise submissions. Download the presentation by George Wilkenfeld & Associates: National Regulation of Energy Labelling & Minimum Energy Performance Standards - February 2010.

If you are unable to access this document, please contact the The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts to organise a suitable alternative format.

Public Comments - guide to submissions

The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts invites stakeholders to comment on the consultation regulation impact statement and share their experiences of the current MEPS and energy labelling program.

Feedback will guide decision-making as the design of the national legislation is finalised.

Please provide any feedback by 9am Monday, 1 March 2010 to:

GEMS Legislation Team
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
CANBERRA ACT 2601

or GEMS Legislation Team

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this Consultation RIS do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts or the Minister for Climate Change and Water or of the government jurisdictions party to the National Strategy on Energy Efficiency.

This page last modified 22 February 2010