Betta Advice: Eco Efficiency

We‘re talking eco-efficiency in the Betta Advice corner, including how to get the most energy and water efficient devices for your home!

Eco-efficiency is all about reducing the impact of individual households on the environment. Over the last few decades, efficiency hasn’t really been a priority of appliance makers, and so we’ve largely become accustomed to using more water and energy than necessary. As both energy and water prices rise, and environmental awareness increases, eco-efficiency is more important than ever.

In Australia, we have two important rating systems that help consumers make purchases of new items. These rate the energy and water efficiency of devices respectively. Ratings are simple to understand, presented in an easy star system, wherein the more stars gained, the more efficient an item is.

Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Showers
• Toilets
• Taps


WELS Rating

WELS is short for Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards. Since 2005, the scheme has been in place to cut water waste in Australia, and to help to people save on their bills by using less, with little functional sacrifice. WELS labels present a six-star rating for any household item that uses water. This includes:

 

Water Rating

Water efficiency is most noticeable in taps and showerheads, so it’s important to select the right one for you. There’s no use in choosing the most water-efficient showerhead available if it leaves you unhappy with the result. If possible, speak with a plumber about finding the right water efficiency setup for your bathroom.


Energy Rating

Standard energy ratings score appliances out of six stars to show their efficiency. The labels also show an estimate of how much energy an appliance will use in a year (kilowatt hours/year) with typical use.
 

Energy Rating

 

It’s important to compare not just star ratings, but also kW/hours if aiming to purchase the most energy efficient appliance possible.

Energy ratings are not mandatory for all electrical devices, only a select set of high-consumption items:

Refrigerators
Freezers
Washing machines
Clothes Dryers
Dishwashers
Air Conditioners
Televisions

For more energy efficient appliances that are far ahead of standards, a ten-star rating system is used, to ensure like devices are being compared to another. If you see one TV rated out of six stars, and the other rated out of ten, the latter is always going to be more energy efficient.