Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water

Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme saves consumers $1.5 billion in utility bills this year

Tanya Plibersek, Minister for the Environment and Water will this week table the third independent review of the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme and Intergovernmental Agreement.

The findings confirm that the WELS blue-star rating scheme remains highly effective in reducing the demand for water across Australia – saving water and saving consumers money on their bills. 

So far this year, nearly $1.5 billion dollars has been saved by householders and businesses through lower utility bills and 158 gigalitres of water, equal to 63,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools, has been saved.

By using more water efficient products and appliances, Australian households could each save an average of $175 each year with reduced heating and water bills by 2030.

By using less energy, the scheme is also reducing carbon emissions – that’s 21.8 mega tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents avoided since the scheme first started in 2005.

The WELS scheme was launched in 2005, at the height of the Millennium Drought, to assist Australians in selecting water-efficient products. 

Even though we are now facing a third La Nina, we know that sometime in the future, water will again be scarce in Australia.  

The WELS Regulator will respond to the review shortly but the Albanese Government is getting on with the job of strengthening the scheme so more water can be saved.

The Government is ensuring non-compliant products are removed from sale in Australia. Online marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Wish are working with the Australian Government to ensure that their suppliers only sell WELS compliant products.

Over the last 12 months, over 2,700 products have been removed from online marketplaces and 40 non-compliant sellers have been restricted.

AliExpress has gone a step further this month by making it a mandatory part of the sellers onboarding process to ensure that consumers will only be able to shop for taps and showerheads that meet the WELS Australian Standard.
 

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP:

"Over 17 years, the WELS blue star label has helped consumers choose water efficient products while also driving innovation.

“This year the scheme will save 158 gigalitres of water, equal to 63,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. This will help to reduce the unsustainable demands and pressures on our clean freshwater resources. 

“The scheme has also saved Australian households and businesses $1.47 billion in water and energy bills this year alone.

“Not only does the scheme help improve water security and lower utility bills, but it also significantly reduces household emissions.

"This year the WELS scheme will save each Australian 12.4 litres of water per day on average.

“The review made several recommendations to strengthen and broaden the impact of the WELS scheme. The Government is working to put these recommendations into action.” 

Quotes attributable to Pier Smulders, General Manager (Aus & NZ) of Alibaba:

“We are pleased to collaborate with the Australian Government to ensure that our Australian customers can only purchase WELS rated products. 

“We will actively monitor our marketplace to ensure that any non-compliant items discovered are prohibited. We are delighted to contribute towards water and energy savings.”

Water and Financial Savings Breakdown

• NSW and ACT : This year an estimated water saving of 49.4 GL, saving householders and businesses $479 million through lower utility bills.
• QLD: This year an estimated water saving of 33.1 GL, saving householders and businesses $339 million through lower utility bills.
• SA: This year an estimated water saving of 11.2 GL, saving householders and businesses $133 million through lower utility bills.
• VIC: This year an estimated water saving of 40.9 GL, saving householders and businesses $317 million through lower utility bills.
• TAS: This year an estimated water saving of 3.2 GL, saving householders and businesses $26 million through lower utility bills.
• NT: This year an estimated water saving of 1.6 GL, saving householders and businesses $8 million through lower utility bills.
• WA: This year an estimated water saving of 18.4 GL, saving householders and businesses $165 million through lower utility bills.