Household appliance performance standards revised

Standards Australia has published a revised series of standards, with the objective of providing consumers with information to better enable them to select energy-efficient appliances including dishwashers, clothes washing machines and clothes dryers.

The revisions will assist in minimising confusion within industry by providing manufacturers and suppliers with requirements that are consistent with legislation. They provide the methodology to measure energy efficiency as well as providing energy efficiency labelling requirements.

The standards are now consistent with the requirements specified in the relevant regulatory instruments, the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (GEMS Act) determinations.

With many options on the market, picking an energy-efficient appliance can be challenging. The recently published range of standards is aimed at making that choice easier for sustainably minded consumers.

The standards specify how manufacturers and suppliers across dishwashers, clothes washing machines and clothes dryers must test appliances to meet energy efficiency labelling requirements.

“In a time where sustainable living is on most people’s minds, Standards Australia are part of the movement to empower consumers to make decisions when purchasing household appliances based on their energy efficiency labelling,” said Roland Terry-Lloyd, Head of Standards Development at Standards Australia.

The revised series are now consistent with the current determinations, which will minimise confusion within the industry by streamlining industry requirements.

“By aligning these standards with the legislative requirements and current market offerings, suppliers and consumers can both benefit from increased clarity in energy consumption declarations,” said Phillip Robinson, Technical Manager of the Consumer Electronics Suppliers Association and Chair of the committee responsible for the standards.

The standards provide manufacturers with test load requirements and test methods to measure energy and water consumption for industries to be able to supply products that meet the GEMS Act labelling requirements.

The recently published standards are:

• AS/NZS 2442.1, Performance of household electrical appliances - Rotary clothes dryers, Part 1: Methods for measuring performance, energy and water consumption
• AS/NZS 2442.2, Performance of household electrical appliances - Rotary clothes dryers, Part 2: Energy efficiency labelling requirements
• AS/NZS 2007.1, Performance of household electrical appliances - Dishwashers, Part 1: Methods for measuring performance, energy and water consumption
• AS/NZS 2007.2, Performance of household electrical appliances - Dishwashers, Part 2: Energy efficiency labelling requirements
• AS/NZS 2040.1, Performance of household electrical appliances - Clothes washing machines, Part 1: Methods for measuring performance, energy and water consumption
• AS/NZS 2040.2, Performance of household electrical appliances - Clothes washing machines, Part 2: Energy efficiency labelling requirements.
   

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