Recommendations for appliance and equipment groups and models to be check tested are to be based on the following criteria:

Group Selection – Factors for Consideration

Plan to cover all product groups

Over the long term it is the intention of the E3 Compliance Program to ensure that most major categories and types of appliances and equipment are included in the checktesting program to ensure broad and consistent coverage of the entire market.

Number and Turnover of Models

Consideration will be given to the numbers of models and the annual turnover of new models of each appliance group. Appliance groups will be given attention in proportion to such numbers and/or turnover.

History of non-compliance in each appliance group

Appliance types and suppliers with a demonstrated history of non-compliance should be selected because of the likelihood of a continuation of such historical trends.

Model Selection – Factors for Consideration

A system of weighting and prioritisation for each of the following factors is used to select models for testing.

History of Testing of Specific Models

Models tested in previous years of the checktest program are normally excluded from any further testing unless specific evidence becomes available to suggest that a retest is warranted.

Age of Models

Newer models are normally given preference when considering models for checktesting because of their potential to remain on the market for a longer period as compared to older models. The exception to this rule is models that have been on the market for a considerable period of time (3 years or more) without being subjected to testing.

Volume of Sales of Models

Models with high volumes of sales are normally given preference when considering models for checktesting because of their greater potential to impact on energy usage as compared to models with low sales volumes.

Star Rating of Models

Models with the highest claims for energy efficiency (i.e. high star ratings) are normally given preference when considering models for checktesting because of the market’s higher expectations with respect to the preformance of these models as compared to mdoels with low ratings.

Record of non-compliance by Supplier

Suppliers with a demonstrated record of checktesting non-compliance are generally subject to greater scrutiny in the checktesting program because of the likelihood of a continuation of such historical trends.

Third Party Referrals

Complaints as to accuracy of energy use and/or efficiency claims from third parties such as competitors, consumers, consumer groups or regulatory agencies, will be considered by the Checktesting Program Manager. The Checktesting Program Manager will be responsible for establishing a complaints handling mechanism that reflects best practice, and will include a ‘complaints’ report in the Annual Checktesting Report.

New Market Entrants

A priority will be given to the selection of products that appear as new brands on the market or from suppliers that do not have any checktesting track record.