Consumers

How the E3 Program can help you save money on your energy bills.

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The Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program helps improve the energy efficiency of a range of appliances and equipment. It is a shared initiative of the Australian Government, states and territories and the New Zealand Government.

The program sets out the minimum energy efficiency standards and energy rating labelling requirements for products like fridges, dishwashers, TV’s and more.

By choosing more efficient models, households and businesses can consume less energy, save money on their energy bills, and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The more energy efficient an appliance is, the more you save on your annual energy bills.  In other words  – The more stars, the more savings.

For almost 30 years, the Energy Rating Label has helped consumers understand the energy efficiency and running costs of household appliances.

You can find the energy rating label on many appliances, like fridges, dishwashers, dryers and more.

More stars means more energy efficient. One star is low energy efficiency and ten stars is high.

The more stars an appliance has, the cheaper the appliance is to run, helping you save money on energy bills.

Where a model has 6 stars or less, it is displayed on the label out of six stars. Super-efficient models of 7 to 10 stars show extra stars in a band above the regular six star label. 

To learn more about the Energy Rating Label and how to use it to choose a new appliance that suits your needs, saves energy – and saves money, head to our Energy Rating Label page.

• Use the energy rating label to choose a more efficient appliance. You will spend less on running costs over the life of the purchase.
• Always choose the right size model for your needs - bigger is not always better!
• When buying a television, each additional star is 20% more energy efficient than the previous star.

Here’s some questions to ask your retailer, to make sure you get the model that best suits your needs AND saves you money.

• How energy efficient is this model compared to my other options?
• How much will it cost me to run this model for a year, on average?
• Over ten years, would I be better off spending more now to buy a more energy efficient model that costs less to run?

Lighting is responsible for around 10 per cent of the average household electricity bill.

You could save hundreds of dollars each year simply by installing more efficient light bulbs. Read our consumer guide to buying quality LEDs and our Light Bulb Buying Guide for more information.

You can also download the free app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

Find out more about lighting

We focus on a range of products to increase their energy efficiency, helping you save money on your bills and reduce emissions.

Some products have energy rating labels, others have Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), while others have both. 

We don't cover all appliances - just the ones that use the most energy.  These have the greatest potential for saving you money, if you choose an energy efficient model.

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