In 2006, there were an estimated 24 million computers in use in Australia, roughly equally divided between the residential, commercial and government sectors. Best available information suggests that by 2020 the number of computers will double to around 53.5 million in Australia and New Zealand and the number of computer monitors will grow to 33 million. Computers and computer monitors are now one of the largest end uses of electrical energy in the residential sector not covered by energy efficiency regulation.

In 2010 the residential sector electrical energy consumption of computers and computer monitors is estimated to reach 1,915 GWh in Australia and 364 GWh in New Zealand. This represents between 3% and 3.2% of energy consumption in the residential sector in Australian and New Zealand.

There is a trend towards an increasing use of notebooks and netbooks instead of desktop (DT) computers and the use of liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor technology replacing cathode ray tube (CRT) technology. These trends have positive efficiency and greenhouse outcomes for the wider community.

ENERGY STAR®, created by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1992, has become the international benchmark for energy efficient electronic equipment. ENERGY STAR® for computers was first developed and implemented in 1994 with various improvements since. The latest specification, ENERGY STAR® V5.0, being introduced in July 2009.

MEPS, as a policy tool to improve the efficiency of products sold, has been adopted in Australia for over a decade. These types of intervention are currently applied to many equipment types sold in Australia and New Zealand. The Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Committee agrees to the proposed use of ENERGY STAR® as the preferred means of measuring the energy efficiency of computers and monitors in Australia and New Zealand.

E3 is recommending that MEPS be imposed for computers and mandatory labelling for all computer monitors not earlier than 30 June 2011 with MEPS to be based on ENERGY STAR® V5.0 specifications.