The Energy Rating Calculator allows consumers to calculate the cost of running an appliance. It adds the cost of the appliance to the cost of the electricity.
The Good
- You can use the energy rating calculator to work out how much your appliance will cost to run.
- The Energy Rating Label is very easy to read. The star rating is very clear and easy to understand without making complicated calculations.
- When all appliances of a similar type have an energy rating, then people are more likely to choose the more efficient ones.
- The Energy Rating Calculator is easy to access, FREE and easy to use.
The Bad
- Using the Energy Rating Calculator is good when you are looking at one appliance, but it is not as easy as the star rating label.
- An appliance with a high energy star rating is efficient, but that does not mean that it doesn’t use much energy since it is only being compared with similar products.
- To calculate the energy consumption on the Energy Rating Label, certain assumptions are made.
- Energy prices are variable and change over the life of the appliance.
Verdict: The Energy Rating Calculator is FREE and easy to use, and helps you make an informed decision about the energy usage of an appliance.
Introduction
As the price of electricity continues to climb, buying energy-efficient appliances could help consumers to save money over the life of the appliance. The energy rating calculator has been created by the Australian government to help consumers determine the cost of running an appliance over its life. There are a number of home appliances that are required to have a label showing their annual consumption and efficiency. This is called the star rating system and it helps consumers easily compare the efficiency of appliances in the store and gives them the information they need to buy the most energy-efficient appliance.
What is the Energy rating calculator?
The energy rating calulator1 has been created by the Australian government to show how much energy is required to run a specific appliance. You can enter the model of your appliance, how often you will use it, and the purchase price. You will then know how much it will cost to run over the life of the product. This allows the customer to know how efficient the appliance is.
The Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) Act has been used since 2012. The GEMS Regulator along with the Energy Efficiency Advisory Team EEAT manage the Equipment Energy Efficient (E3) Program. The E3 Program is run by the Australian and New Zealand governments and allows consumers to easily compare the energy consumption of similar products in order to learn how much the appliance costs to run. Not only can consumers save money on their electric bill, but it also means that they can use less energy and reduce carbon emissions.
New appliances now have an Energy Rating Label which is easy to read and shows how much energy is required to run a specific appliance. The appliances that you buy must meet the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) set efficiency levels. Any appliances that you buy will have to meet these levels. As a result of the MEPS, appliance efficiency has continued to improve. For example, air conditioners are 50% more efficient than they were 20 years ago, and fridges use 60% less energy than they did 25 years ago.
How does it work?
When you look at the energy rating label, you will see the star rating and the energy consumption score. The lower the energy consumption score the less electricity the appliance uses and the cheaper it will be to run. The star rating shows the efficiency of the appliance. Consumers can use the star ratings to determine whether the appliance they are buying is as efficient as other similar models. For more information, read Understanding the Australian Energy Star Rating System2.
How are energy ratings calculated?
The energy ratings are calculated according to the size of the product and its energy consumption levels. Products that are of a similar size and type will be compared.
You do not need to use the energy rating calculator for working out the energy consumption cost. First, you calculate the energy consumption (wattage) and multiply it by the hours used per day. Divide the answer by 1000. You can then calculate the annual use by multiplying the daily energy consumption by the number of days the appliance is used per year. You can then multiply the annual use by your energy cost. It’s much easier to use the energy rating calculator!
“When considering buying a new appliance, many people compare star ratings of new products against the fading label still on their existing one, but this can be misleading. For most appliances, the rating scales have been adjusted over time to take into account changes in technology and performance. The energy consumption number (usually kW or kWh) on the label is the most reliable basis for comparing old and new appliances.”
yourhome.gov.au/energy/appliances5
How does the star ratings system work?
Star ratings are displayed on either a 6 or a 10-star scale. The labels also show the annual energy consumption. The more stars there are on the label, the more energy efficient the product is. The least efficient appliances will have 1 star and the most efficient models can have up to 10 stars. Above 6 stars, there are no half-star increments.
Appliances that are super-efficient will show a 10-star label and can have more than 6 stars.
For more details about the star ratings system, read Understanding the energy star ratings on appliances3.
What kinds of appliances can you get an energy calculation on?
You will find an Energy Rating Label on a number of different appliances. To see more about how much it costs to run a home appliance, see this article4. Here is a list of the appliances which carry an Energy Rating Label:
- Air conditioners
- Clothes dryers
- Clothes washers
- Computer monitors
- Dishwashers
- Fridges and freezers
- Pool pumps
- TVs
For more information about appliances and energy consumption, the government has provided this information5.
Features (Advantages) of the Energy rating calculator?
- You can use the energy rating calculator to work out how much your appliance will cost to run. It takes into account the price of the appliance as well as the amount of energy it uses.
- The Energy Rating Label is very easy to read. The star rating is very clear and easy to understand without making complicated calculations. A 3-star appliance is clearly not as efficient as one that has 3.5 stars. Read this information on understanding the label6 to find out more.
- When all appliances of a similar type have an energy rating, then people are more likely to choose the more efficient ones. This is an incentive for manufacturers to make their products more efficient and this improves the average efficiency of all products.
“Energy efficient appliances use less electricity to achieve the same level of performance to similar models with the same size or capacity. The more energy efficient a model, the less energy it will use and the less it will cost you to run.”
energyrating.gov.au 6
Are there any drawbacks (Disadvantages) of using the Energy rating calculator?
- Using the Energy Rating Calculator is good when you are looking at one appliance, but it is not as easy as the star rating label. The star rating label allows you to compare appliances quickly, but the star rating label does not take into account the way you intend to use the appliance. Energy use and costs can vary greatly according to use.
- An appliance with a high energy star rating is efficient, but that does not mean that it doesn’t use much energy since it is only being compared with similar products. In fact, a cheaper model with fewer stars may actually save you more money in the long run than a more expensive model with more stars.
- To calculate the energy consumption on the Energy Rating Label, certain assumptions are made. This does not mean, however, that the consumer will use the product in the same way. For example, it is assumed that you will use your clothes dryer for 1 full load a week. If you run your dryer with very few items in it or if you overload it, the energy consumption will be different. If the appliance is not well maintained, this will also affect its efficiency and the star rating will not be an accurate measure.
- Energy prices are variable and change over the life of the appliance. The cost of running it at today’s prices may not be the same a few years later, and it is only as accurate as the data you have.
Is the Energy rating calculator worth it?
The Energy Rating calculator is useful for consumers who do not have the knowledge to calculate the power consumption of their appliances. Using the star label will help them to choose the most efficient appliance. Comparing the efficiency of different appliances is complicated and the star rating system can help people make better choices. By forcing manufacturers to display the efficiency of their appliances, there will be pressure on manufacturers to ensure that their products are at least as efficient as their competitors.
The energy rating calculator allows consumers to work out how expensive it is to run an appliance. It is worth using the energy rating calculator if you want to be sure you are buying an appliance that will cost you less over its lifetime.
Conclusion
Using the energy rating calculator can help consumers learn how much an appliance will cost them over the life of the appliance. While the star labels are helpful in comparing efficiency, there are other factors that should be taken into account. The way you use an appliance will have an effect on how efficient it is. When you buy a new appliance, it is useful to look at the Energy Rating Label and the energy rating calculator in order to compare similar products and to make an informed choice, but you should remember that your circumstances will affect the amount of energy used. Don’t forget you can also look at product reviews of that particular appliance on websites such as Choice and Finder.
You might also be interested in my articles on:
How to save money on your mobile phone plan
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Reference List:
1. ‘Energy Rating Calculator’. Accessed online at https://www.energyrating.gov.au/calculator on 6 Nov, 2022.
2. ‘Understanding the Australian Energy Star Rating System’. Dean Heckscher. Published 25 April, 2022. Accessed online at https://www.canstarblue.com.au/appliances/understanding-energy-ratings/#calculated on 6 Nov, 2022.
3. ‘Understanding the energy star ratings on appliances’. By Danny Baggs. Published 31 March, 2022. Accessed online at https://www.racv.com.au/royalauto/sustainability/energy/understanding-energy-star-ratings-label-on-appliances.html on 6 Nov, 2022.
4. ‘Home Appliances in Australia and Energy Efficiency’. Selectra. Accessed online at https://selectra.com.au/energy/guides/appliances on 6 Nov, 2022.
5. ‘Appliances and technology’. Australian Government: Your Home. Accessed online at https://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/appliances on 6 Nov, 2022.
6. ‘Understanding the Label’. Accessed online at https://www.energyrating.gov.au/about-e3-program/understanding-label on 6 Nov, 2022.
Captain FI is a Retired Pilot who lives in Adelaide, South Australia. He is passionate about Financial Independence and writes about Personal Finance and his journey to reach FI at 29, allowing him to retire at 30.
