Registering a product
Regulated products must be registered before they can be sold.
You can register a product in Australia or New Zealand using the Energy Rating Product Registration System.
In Australia, there are four steps to register a product model. A product model is defined by its brand, model number, and energy performance characteristics.
The registration process
-
Step 1 — Check that you need to register
1.1. Check if your product is regulated by checking the list of Regulated Products
If your product is listed, review the information on this website for the product and the relevant Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) Determination, to determine the requirements for your product.
If your product is not listed, then no energy efficiency regulations apply to the product. Mandatory safety and information standards for your product may still apply.
1.2. Check if your product is already registered
Only one registration is allowed for each product model. Search the Product Database to see if there is an existing registration for the product.
If your product is already registered, note the expiry date for the registration. You do not need to register the product again but will need to follow any other requirements for that product.
If your product is not listed, it will need to be registered.
1.3. Confirm there are no exclusions for your product
Some types of products are excluded from regulation. Check the relevant GEMS Determination to see if your product is excluded – if it is, no energy efficiency regulations apply to your product.
-
Step 2 — Test your product
2.1. Review the test method and performance standards for your product
The testing requirements and Minimum Energy Performance Standards are set out in the relevant Determination and requirements. Visit the relevant Regulated products page for more information.
2.2. Confirm if testing has already been completed
Contact the manufacturer to determine if they have completed tests that meet the requirements for this product, and if so, obtain the test results. The test results will need to meet any Minimum Energy Performance Standards for that product.
2.3. Conduct testing if required
If no testing has been completed or the testing does not meet the requirements, you will need to obtain test results by conduct your own testing or engaging a testing laboratory. The test results will need to meet any Minimum Energy Performance Standards for that product.
-
Step 3 — Apply for registration
3.1. Check registration fees
You are required to pay a registration fee in Australia, to cover the costs of processing registrations and monitoring compliance.
3.2. Log in to the Energy Rating Product Registration System
You can either log in as an existing user or register for an online user account. New users will be contacted via email with their log in details.
3.3. Create an ‘Applicant’ account or join an existing one
If you have not supplied products in Australia before, you will need to create a new Applicant account for your organisation in the Energy Rating Product Registration System.
If you have supplied products in Australia before, you should have an existing Applicant account. If so, contact the Authorising Officer of the Applicant account and request them to invite you as an Authorised Representative so that you can register products.
3.4. Submit an application
Create an application of the appropriate type for your product, select whether you want to register in Australia or New Zealand, enter the required information (including your test results), pay the required fee and submit your application. If further information is needed, your application will be returned to you for amendment.
View the Energy Rating Product Registration System help guide for detailed instructions.
-
Step 4 — Receive confirmation
4.1. Receive confirmation
We aim to process your application within 14 days, not including any time waiting for you to provide additional information.
Once your application has been approved, you will receive confirmation, a registration number, and a registration approval certificate (only for Australian registrants).
You can now supply your product. You will need to comply with any labelling requirements.
Additional information
-
Renewing a registration
Registrations last for 5 years. Product registrations need to be re-registered before the expiration date, to obtain another 5 years of registration. You can apply for a new registration from 6 months before the expiry date.
For more information, view the help guide on the Energy Rating Product Registration System.
-
Families of models
You may be able to register several models in one ‘family of models’ registration if the models all have the same technical specification. This means that only one registration and fee is required to cover all the related products.
Whether this is possible will be detailed in the GEMS Determination for the product type. The Determination will state what requirements must be met for the models can be considered a family of models in this product class.
You can add a new model to a current family of models registration or a single model registration, if it complies with the relevant conditions for the product type. There is a $210 fee when adding a model to an existing registration.
-
Bulk registrations
You can use the bulk application process to register up to 100 products at the same time, by uploading an excel spreadsheet of your application information. View the help guide on the Energy Rating Product Registration System for more information.
-
Changes to requirements
When a GEMS Determination is updated, if a previously registered model does not meet the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards, its registration will be cancelled. Any previously registered stock that was imported into or manufactured in Australia before the commencement of the new Determination can be sold until exhausted. Newly imported or manufactured stock must not be sold under the cancelled registration.
If the product meets the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards, its registration will generally be transferred to the new Determination. When the registration of that product expires, a new registration application will need to be submitted. This application will need to meet the requirements of the new Determination.
-
Exemptions
In special circumstances you may be able to seek an exemption from one or more requirements in Australia. To apply for an exemption you need to complete an Application for Exemption Form and lodge it with the GEMS Regulator. Any exemption granted would be at the discretion of the GEMS Regulator.
-
Registrations cancelled by the GEMS Regulator
The GEMS Regulator, under our compliance approach, may cancel the registration of a product under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012. Products with cancelled registrations will be removed from the public Energy Rating Registration Database. Registrants can still view the product that was cancelled in their account, as the record is retained in the Energy Rating Product Registration system.