The Star Rating System: What Does It Mean?

What is it?

Residential split-system air conditioners have to meet minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) to be sold in Australia. This means you can be assured that any new model you buy will be reasonably energy-efficient.

When a manufacturer registers a model with the government Energy Rating system, the air conditioner gets a star rating label for cooling and heating based on its test results against the Australian standard for air conditioners. You'll see the label on the model in store or online. This gives a quick and easy way to compare models.

The more stars, the more efficient the model and the less it should cost to run, assuming it's been correctly installed.

Even a model with one or two stars is still OK, but a model with five or six stars (or more) is clearly better, though the more efficient model might also be more expensive.

The new rating according to where you live

The old star rating label had one rating for cooling and one for heating. Any new model registered from April 2020 onwards has a new star rating label, known as the Zoned Energy Rating Label (ZERL). This shows three cooling star ratings and three heating star ratings, based on the climate zone where the unit is installed.

An air conditioner that's good at cooling a home in an average climate zone (see below) might not be the best choice for someone living in a hot zone, for example. Likewise, others might be best suited to heating homes in cold zones. These zone ratings help you choose the best model for your area and your needs.

The three climate zones are:

• Hot: northern Australia including Darwin and Brisbane

• Average: the middle zone of Australia including Sydney, Adelaide and Perth

• Cold: southern Australia including Melbourne, southern WA, Canberra and eastern state mountain regions, and Tasmania. It also includes New Zealand.

Tip: Always choose which size (or capacity) model you need first, then use the star rating to compare them.