The Energy Rating Label tells you two things, and most people only read one of them. The stars, 1 to 6 with a super efficiency label running to 10, compare an appliance with others of similar size and features. The kWh per year figure underneath is the annual energy consumption from standardised testing, and it is the number that actually predicts your bill. Two washers can both wear 5 stars and cost different amounts to run, because a 10 kg machine uses more electricity a year than a 6 kg one. Read the stars to shortlist, read the kWh to decide. The rest of this guide shows how, and what the label cannot tell you about an appliance that has been in your kitchen for years.
Our full guide to Perth appliance running costs in 2026 covers the July price change in detail; this piece stays on the label itself.
What is actually on an energy rating label
The label is regulated by the GEMS Regulator (Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards) and has been on Australian appliances since the mid 1990s. Across the top is the star rating: 1 to 6 stars, and for models that beat the 6 star mark a super efficiency label that extends the scale to 10. Below the stars is the energy consumption figure in kWh per year from standardised testing. That figure assumes typical use; energyrating.gov.au gives a clothes dryer used once a week as the example.
Energy star rating Australia: what the stars actually compare
The stars are a relative score, not an absolute one. They compare models of similar size and features only, and that is the most misread thing about the label. A 5 star 10 kg washer and a 5 star 6 kg washer are each efficient for their size, but the 10 kg machine uses more electricity per year, and the stars will never show you that. Compare across sizes, or an old appliance with a new one, and the kWh figure takes over, which is why energyrating.gov.au calls it the reliable basis for comparing an old appliance with a new one.
The kWh per year figure is the number to trust
Energyrating.gov.au gives the running cost formula in one line: the annual kWh on the label multiplied by your tariff. Their worked example is a fridge rated at 458 kWh a year at $0.307 per kWh, about $140.61 a year. Their fridge comparison shows why this beats star counting: for an upright 350 litre fridge, Fridge A with three stars is rated at 349 kWh a year and Fridge B with six stars at 187 kWh. The stars hint at the gap. The kWh figure tells you exactly what it is.
Heavier use than the test assumes means a higher real cost. A family running the dryer daily rather than once a week will pay more than the label implies, but that applies to every model on the shelf, so the comparison between models still holds.
Which appliances must carry the label
The products that must carry the Energy Rating Label are fridges, freezers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners (which use a zoned label), televisions, computer monitors and pool pumps. The label is optional for online listings, which is why a product page sometimes shows the kWh figure in the specifications rather than the label graphic; the figure is still the one to compare.
Dishwashers and clothes washers carry a second label as well, the WELS Water Rating Label, with its own 1 to 6 stars and a litres per load figure. In a dry city like Perth the water label deserves as much attention as the energy one.
Reading the label on a washing machine, dishwasher and fridge
Washing machine. Compare washers of the same capacity first, then read the kWh per year line and the WELS litres per load. Heating water is the hungriest part of a wash, so the programme you actually use at home, warm or cold, decides how close your bill lands to the label.
Dishwasher. Same drill, both labels. A dishwasher heats its own water, so the heating element and the temperature sensor have a big say in the real running cost. A dishwasher that has started running long cycles or heating twice is worth a look from a technician. CAI repairs dishwashers across Perth, and a machine that has drifted from its label usually has a simple fault behind it.
Fridge. A fridge never switches off, so its kWh per year figure is the most literal of the three. YourHome notes that fridges and freezers can be up to 10 per cent of household energy use. Compare fridges of the same litre capacity and layout, then let the kWh line decide. Our guide to how much electricity a fridge uses runs the formula on a Perth tariff.
What the label cannot tell you: an appliance that has drifted from its rating
The label describes the appliance the day it left the test lab. A washing machine with a worn bearing, a blocked pump filter or a scaled heating element runs longer for the same load. A fridge with a hardened door seal or a dusty condenser runs its compressor far longer than the test assumed. None of that shows on the sticker, and all of it shows on the bill.
Filters, seals, spray arms, fridge coils and settings are DIY. Heating elements, pumps, inlet valves, control boards and anything electrical or sealed are a licensed technician’s job.
That is where our team comes in. CAI Appliance Services repairs washing machines across Perth, with fully qualified mobile technicians who come to you. We are an authorised service agent for Bosch and Electrolux, and we repair all major brands including LG, Samsung, Miele, Fisher and Paykel, Smeg and Whirlpool, so the work is done with the correct parts. Call CAI on 0415 343 413 to book a technician.
Repair or replace: the label is only half the sum
A new appliance with a lower kWh per year figure will cost less to run than an old one. But that gap is only one side of the ledger. The other side is the price of the new machine set against a repair that brings the old one back close to its label figure. A well-serviced older appliance often still beats replacing it: a washer with a new pump or a dishwasher with a new element is back to doing what its label promised. Replacement wins when an appliance is at the end of its expected life and facing a major repair at the same time. Most dishwashers give around 10 years, and our guides on how long dishwashers last and whether to repair or replace a washing machine work through that decision.
Energy Rating Labels Explained: the quick version
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Frequently asked questions
How many stars is a good energy rating?
Is a 5 star 10 kg washer more efficient than a 5 star 6 kg washer?
What does kWh per year mean on an energy rating label?
Does an old appliance still use what its label says?
For the whole-house picture, read our full guide to Perth appliance running costs in 2026, then see how long dishwashers last and whether an older washing machine is worth repairing, or book a Perth technician with CAI.
