{"id":92743,"date":"2025-06-24T05:29:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T19:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=92743"},"modified":"2025-06-24T05:29:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T19:59:59","slug":"gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/","title":{"rendered":"Appliance Energy Efficiency Program &#8216;Partly Effective&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-92744\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gems-energy-efficiency.jpg\" alt=\"GEMS and appliance energy efficiency\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gems-energy-efficiency.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gems-energy-efficiency-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gems-energy-efficiency-1024x538.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gems-energy-efficiency-768x403.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>An investigation by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has delivered a less-than-stellar assessment of an important appliance energy efficiency program underpinned by the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (GEMS Act).<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.au\/Series\/C2012A00132\"> GEMS Act<\/a> serves to prevent the sale of products in Australia deemed to be the most energy inefficient, and to educate consumers on related issues. The body responsible for administering the GEMS Act is the GEMS Regulator, which operates within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).<\/p>\n<p>According to the Australian Government, the GEMS Act has saved households and businesses $12\u2013$18 billion in avoided energy costs, which is a pretty broad estimate range (we&#8217;ll get to that).<\/p>\n<p>But could it be more effective?<\/p>\n<p>The ANAO&#8217;s assessment of the Department\u2019s regulation of the Equipment Energy Efficiency Program found oversight lacking; stating arrangements to support regulatory activities are only &#8220;partly effective&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Among the issues identified:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Incomplete records.<\/li>\n<li>Missing contextual information underpinning the records.<\/li>\n<li>Staff supporting the program didn&#8217;t have direct access to GEMS records prior to 2020.<\/li>\n<li>Risk not being managed.<\/li>\n<li>The program not fully recovering its costs.<\/li>\n<li>Failure to measure the program\u2019s impact on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions (hence the wide collective savings estimate range).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The ANAO noted between 6 December 2022 and 30 June 2024, 87 per cent of the 8,379 registration applications were processed without appropriate delegations. And only 4 infringement notices were issued by the GEMS Regulator over the life of the program, with none being paid or enforced.<\/p>\n<p>Check-testing<sup class='endnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/#en-92743-1' id='enref-92743-1' onclick='return hhEndnotes_show(92743)'>1<\/a><\/sup> has also been tapering off. The average number of check testing activities each financial year between 2013\u201314 and 2023\u201324 was 93. But the lowest number of checks occurred in 2021\u201322, with only 61 models put under the microscope. However, the Department noted the phase-out of incandescent and compact fluorescent lighting products likely contributed.<\/p>\n<p>Based on the issues identified, the ANAO provided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anao.gov.au\/work\/performance-audit\/administration-of-the-equipment-energy-efficiency-program-gems#4-1-recommendations\">nine recommendations<\/a>, all of which have been accepted by DCCEEW.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The department agrees with all nine of the report\u2019s recommendations and can confirm that changes to strengthen the regulatory oversight of the GEMS Program are well underway,&#8221; DCCEEW said in its response.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>GEMS And Energy Rating Labels<\/h2>\n<p>The most visible GEMS-related flag for Australian consumers are energy rating labels required for certain appliances, which look like so:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-92746\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/energy-rating-labels.png\" alt=\"Energy rating labelling in Australia\" width=\"485\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/energy-rating-labels.png 485w, https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/energy-rating-labels-300x233.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The second, top line of stars in the image on the right is a recent addition; indicating &#8216;super-efficient&#8217; appliances. The label design now incorporates up to 10 stars to encourage manufacturers to further improve the energy efficiency of appliances, as many products were already achieving the previous maximum of six stars.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s mandatory for energy rating labels to be displayed in-store (but not online) on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>non-ducted household air conditioners<\/li>\n<li>clothes dryers<\/li>\n<li>washing machines<\/li>\n<li>computer monitors<\/li>\n<li>dishwashers<\/li>\n<li>household refrigerators and freezers<\/li>\n<li>pool pumps<\/li>\n<li>televisions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The labels provide an at-glance assessment when compared to other models of similar size and features. The more stars, the more energy-efficient the appliance is, and the \u201ckWh per year\u201d number is based on product usage assumptions for each category.<\/p>\n<p>Australian consumers have demonstrated a high degree of trust in the energy rating labels over the years, arriving at purchase decisions based on the information provided. This makes it even more important that the program is administered and requirements enforced effectively.<\/p>\n<p>You can learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energyrating.gov.au\/industry-information\/understand-requirements\/labelling\/understand-energy-rating-label\">energy rating label system here<\/a>. On a related note, discover how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/energy-efficiency\/appliances\/\">measure the efficiency of your appliances<\/a> yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An investigation by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has delivered a less-than-stellar assessment of an important appliance energy efficiency program underpinned by the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012 (GEMS Act).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":92744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[678],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-battery-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Appliance Energy Efficiency Program &#039;Partly Effective&#039;<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A government audit has delivered a less-than-stellar assessment of an important Australian appliance energy efficiency program.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Appliance Energy Efficiency Program &#039;Partly Effective&#039;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A government audit has delivered a less-than-stellar assessment of an important Australian appliance energy efficiency program.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SolarQuotes Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-23T19:59:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gems-energy-efficiency.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Bloch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Bloch\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/66afd571aa00c2e442f0192ebac2f6f1\"},\"headline\":\"Appliance Energy Efficiency Program &#8216;Partly Effective&#8217;\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-23T19:59:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/\"},\"wordCount\":616,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gems-energy-efficiency-mb3210\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/gems-energy-efficiency.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General Solar &amp; 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The Act places related regulatory\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Solar &amp; Storage News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Solar &amp; Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"GEMS Act review - energy efficiency in Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/energy-efficiency-review.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/energy-efficiency-review.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/energy-efficiency-review.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/energy-efficiency-review.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94625,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/emissions-target-electrification-mb3273\/","url_meta":{"origin":92743,"position":1},"title":"Australia&#8217;s 2035 Emissions Target: Home Electrification","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A 2035 emissions target range has been set for Australia and plans to achieve it unveiled. So, what's on the cards for home electrification? What Target Has Been Set For 2035? The Albanese Government has set a national target to reduce emissions by 62\u201370% below 2005 levels by 2035; on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Solar Policy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Solar Policy","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Australia's 2035 emissions target plan","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/emissions-target-plan.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/emissions-target-plan.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/emissions-target-plan.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/emissions-target-plan.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/emissions-target-plan.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85375,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/heat-pump-roadmap-mb2970\/","url_meta":{"origin":92743,"position":2},"title":"Heat Pumps: Roadmap For Australia&#8217;s Hot Water Transformation","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"July 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Air-sourced heat pump hot water systems (HPHWS) can save households a bundle of bucks, but the quality of systems and installation in Australia needs some work. Heating water is an energy intensive task; one that accounts for more than 20% of a home\u2019s total energy use using conventional heating systems.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Solar &amp; Storage News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Solar &amp; Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hot water heat pumps in Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/heat-pumps-australia.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/heat-pumps-australia.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/heat-pumps-australia.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/heat-pumps-australia.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/heat-pumps-australia.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65604,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/act-energy-efficiency-rebate-mb2637\/","url_meta":{"origin":92743,"position":3},"title":"ACT Expands Home Energy Support Program","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"As well as a rebate for solar power systems, eligible low-income households in the ACT can now also get a significant rebate on selected energy-efficient appliances. In April this year, the ACT kicked off a new scheme whereby low income households can receive a rebate of up to $2,500 on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Solar &amp; Storage News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Solar &amp; Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Home Energy Support Program","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/energy-efficiency-act.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/energy-efficiency-act.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/energy-efficiency-act.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/energy-efficiency-act.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/energy-efficiency-act.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":86687,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/act-home-energy-scheme-mb3005\/","url_meta":{"origin":92743,"position":4},"title":"ACT Home Energy Support Scheme Report Card Released","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"An ACT Government program to improve energy efficiency, comfort and sustainability for community and public housing tenants has been delivering on its intended outcomes according to an external evaluation. The Home Energy Support Scheme kicked off in March 2022, providing rebates and other support for lower-income tenants and homeowners. Under\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General Solar &amp; Storage News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General Solar &amp; Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ACT Home Energy Support Scheme","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/act-home-energy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/act-home-energy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/act-home-energy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/act-home-energy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/act-home-energy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":89318,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/nathers-existing-homes-mb3110\/","url_meta":{"origin":92743,"position":5},"title":"How To Score A Free NatHERS Home Energy Rating Assessment","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"February 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) has teamed up with CSIRO for a trial providing free home energy ratings to eligible home owners and renters; carried out by trained assessors. 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