When you’re buying a new fridge, air conditioner, or washing machine, it’s easy to focus on the upfront cost. But the cheapest appliance isn’t always the cheapest over time. By paying a bit more upfront for an appliance with a higher energy rating you can save hundreds, or even thousands in energy costs over the life of the appliance.
This is where the Energy Rating label can help. It’s a simple guide to help you choose appliances that use less energy and save you money on your power bills.
For our customers in the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley where energy use can spike during hot summers or in Goldfields/Esperance in long winters, making smarter appliance choices can really pay off.
The Energy Rating label helps you easily compare the energy efficiency of an appliance. It’s a quick way to see how energy efficient an appliance is and how much electricity it is likely to use.
The label shows two main things:
These two things matter because: lower energy use = less cost to run = lower energy bills
In simple terms, the more stars mean the appliance uses less energy to run, and the less it will cost you to run the appliance over its lifetime.
To help explain it, take a look at these two washing machines.
| Washing machine A | Washing machine B | |
| Cost to buy | $845.00 | $564.00 |
| Cost to run over 10 years | $1,102.40 | $2,657.71 |
| Total lifetime cost | $1,947.40 | $3,221.71 |
| Savings | $1,274.31 |
The key takeaway: the small upfront saving on the cost of washing machine B, has ended up costing you 65% more over time.
Cooling and heating make up around 40% of the average household's use. In the warmer locations in WA an efficient air conditioner may cost more to buy upfront but could make a noticeable difference to your bills over the year.
Next time you’re comparing appliances, don’t just look at the price tag. Check the Energy Rating label and think about the total cost over the life of the appliance. Paying a little more upfront for a more efficient model could save you money in the long run.
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