Equipment Energy Efficiency Program

The Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) program is a joint initiative of the Australian Government, Australian state and territory governments and the New Zealand Government.

The E3 Program supports sustainable consumption and production by promoting the development and adoption of energy-efficient appliances and equipment in Australia and New Zealand. It does this by setting Minimum Energy Performance Standards for products sold in Australia and New Zealand and requiring s appliances to display an Energy Rating Label.

Minimum Energy Performance Standards limit the energy that an appliance or piece of equipment can use to complete a specified task, such as washing or drying a load of clothes. Minimum Energy Performance Standards remove poor performing products from the market, giving consumers confidence in the energy efficiency of products they purchase.

Energy Rating Labels are comparison labels that allow consumers to compare the energy efficiency and energy consumption of similar products. This supports consumers to make informed choices about the products that they purchase, and to choose energy efficient appliances.

By promoting the development and adoption of energy-efficient appliances and equipment, Minimum Energy Performance Standards and Energy Rating Labels promote the development and adoption of more sustainable products that use less energy and produce fewer greenhouse gases. This reduces the need for more energy supply and assists in the transition to Net Zero.

The E3 Program currently covers 24 different types of products in Australia. In 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that the E3 program resulted in around 17,000 gigawatt hours of electricity savings in a baseline year of 2018. This was more than 7 per cent of Australia’s national energy consumption that year.[GI1] 

In Australia, the E3 Program is delivered through the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012.