Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS)
Page contents
- What is WELS?
- When does WELS start?
- How WELS works
- The WELS label
- Why is water efficiency important?
- Meeting the Standard
- The Australian WELS
- How WELS was developed
- Guidance and contact information
What is WELS?
The New Zealand Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) is designed to provide information, through labelling at the point of sale, to consumers buying products that use water.
The introduction of WELS on 1 April 2010 means that a new label (similar to the one shown on this page) will soon appear on the following types of products: washing machines, dishwashers, toilets, urinals, showers and taps. Consumers may have already noticed a similar label already on some products. This is the Australian Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (the Australian WELS) label.
Both the New Zealand and the Australian WELS labels will convey the same water efficiency information.
The purpose of the label is to help consumers choose products that use less water but still provide a satisfactory level of quality and performance.
When does WELS start?
WELS started officially on 1 April 2010 with the mandating of the Consumer Information Standards (Water Efficiency) Regulations 2010 made under the Fair Trading Act 1986. The regulations require products imported into or manufactured in New Zealand on or after 1 April 2011 to display labels. Products imported or manufactured before 1 April 2011 are not required to be labelled until 1 April 2013.
The WELS regulations were developed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and implemented by the Ministry for the Environment. The Commerce Commission is responsible for compliance and enforcement of the WELS regulations.
How WELS works
The WELS applies to six product classes:
- clothes washing machines
- dishwashers
- lavatories
- showers
- taps
- urinals.
The regulations require that from 1 April 2011 each of these product classes display a WELS label if imported into New Zealand or manufactured in New Zealand on or after 1 April 2011. Products imported or manufactured before 1 April 2011 are not required to be labelled until 1 April 2013.
Like the energy efficiency labels seen on appliances, consumers can use the label’s star-rating to determine how water-efficient a product is compared to other products in the same class. Dishwashers and clothes washing machines will display a combined energy/WELS label because they use both energy and water.
Choosing a product that uses less heated water will also mean that consumers can significantly reduce their energy bills.
It is expected that over time, consumer demand for products that use less water will increase. This will encourage suppliers of WELS products to either design or buy products which are more water efficient.
The WELS labels
Suppliers of water-using equipment can download the WELS label artwork from an online label library. It is free to download the labels. You just need to register to obtain a logon. A style guide for the labels is available on this site as well. Suppliers should also read A Suppliers Guide to the New Zealand Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme
Star rating
The WELS label displays two key pieces of information:
- a star rating indicating relative water efficiency
- a water consumption or water flow figure.
Each product label displays a star rating out of six. The more stars the more water efficient. At the moment, showers will only have a maximum rating of three stars, while the other product types can achieve up to six stars. This is because New Zealand and Australia do not yet have a laboratory test to ensure that very low-flow shower products will deliver acceptable performance.
Water consumption
All WELS labels have a water consumption or flow figure in
- litres per minute (for showers and taps)
- litres per wash (for clothes washing machines and dishwashers)
- litres per flush (for lavatories and urinals). Labels on lavatories display figures for litres per half flush, full flush, and average flush (the average of four half flushes and one full flush).
Water pressure systems
The water efficiency rating of showers and taps depends on if they were designed for use in mains pressure systems or for use in areas of low or unequal pressure. WELS labels on showers and taps indicate the water pressure system they are intended for use in. Labels on the other product types will not have this information.
The WELS applies only to new products and not second-hand products.
Products must be labelled when supplied or offered for supply (either physically displayed or available to buy online). This will mainly be in the form of the standard WELS label but in some instances you may see a text alternative to the label for unpackaged products.
Why is water efficiency important?
It’s important not to waste water, particularly in parts of the country that experience periodic water shortages. Conserving water can reduce your water charges if you live in an area that uses water meters, and choosing a product that uses less heated water will help to reduce your energy bills. Reducing water demand also lowers costs to the community for water treatment and pumping. In other words, using water more efficiently has both economic and environmental benefits.
There are many factors that influence your decision when buying a new product such as cost, colour, brand, style, performance, reputation, recommendations and past experience. Saving water and saving on your water bills can be a deciding factor in determining the type of product you buy.
If you're about to buy a water-using product find out first how WELS water efficiency ratings can save you money and help the environment. It’s simple – the more stars on the WELS label, the more water efficient the product is.
For more information on how and why to be water efficient see www.sustainability.govt.nz/water
Meeting the Standard
Both the Australian WELS and the New Zealand WELS are underpinned by a series of joint Australian New Zealand standards.
These standards specify the testing requirements for suppliers. The testing requirements are the procedures that must be used to:
- determine the water efficiency and water consumption of a product and
- ensure the product achieves a satisfactory level of quality and performance.
The most important standard is AS/NZS 6400: 2005, the joint Australia/New Zealand standard for Water efficient products – Rating and labelling.
This standard contains the algorithms (or conversion factors) that converts the water efficiency data obtained from (a) into the water efficiency information seen on the label (ie, the star-rating and water consumption figure).
The WELS regulations specify which parts of the standards (including AS/NZS 6400:2005) are required for compliance for the New Zealand WELS.
A product is still allowed to be sold in New Zealand if it fails any of the tests required by AS/NZS 6400, but it must carry a zero star-rated WELS label.
The Australian WELS labels
Products with the Australian WELS labels are already imported for sale in New Zealand. The New Zealand WELS regulations allow this to continue. The Australian label is similar in appearance to the New Zealand label. The star rating and water consumption information on an Australian WELS label is the same as it would be on a New Zealand label for any given model. This information is determined through the same testing regime outlined in AS/NZS 6400.
The main difference between the Australian and New Zealand schemes is that, in Australia, suppliers of products must pay a registration fee and be listed in an online national database of products and their ratings. Water-using products which are sold only in New Zealand will not be on this database.
New Zealand consumers can use the Australian database to compare products which are sold in both Australia and New Zealand. See www.environment.gov.au/wels_public/searchPublic.do
How WELS was developed
In June 2007, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs released the Proposed Implementation of Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Discussion Document for comment. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs also prepared a Summary of Submissions.
Using the submissions received from the consultation document, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Ministry for the Environment developed a proposal for the introduction of a WELS in New Zealand.
However, the development of the WELS was delayed by the need to amend the joint Australia New Zealand standard AS/NZS 6400 to reflect the prevalence of low pressure water supply systems in New Zealand (see WELS standards).
In October 2008, the Government approved the introduction of a WELS in New Zealand. However, in December 2009, the Government amended the policy decisions behind the WELS to reduce compliance costs for both industry and the government.
The amended policy decisions removed the requirements for:
- retailers or suppliers of WELS products to include water efficiency information in all advertising print media where the New Zealand dollar price is specified
- the Ministry for the Environment to build and maintain a public database of WELS products.
These modifications do not affect the integrity of the WELS. Consumers will still be able to view and compare water efficiency information on the physical labels that are either attached or linked to products on the internet or in showrooms.
A cost benefit analysis estimated that removing the advertising requirement would save retailers up to $400,000 a year and removing the database meant suppliers would no longer have to list their products on a Ministry for the Environment database.
However, the removal of the database raised concerns that water efficiency information (ie, the star-rating and water consumption figure) would not be verified before being printed on labels. In the Australian WELS, suppliers must submit their water efficiency information to the WELS regulator for verification before being granted approval to print labels. However, in New Zealand there is no provision under the Fair Trading Act 1986 for this.
Instead the onus is on suppliers to ensure they print accurate labels. Failure to do so could lead to prosecution and fines of up to $200,000 for a company and $60,000 for an individual per offence.
The WELS regulations will be enforceable by the Commerce Commission. Anyone, including consumers and competitors, is able to inform the Commission if they suspect breaches. Under the Fair Trading Act 1986, both individuals and companies can also undertake proceedings against alleged breaches of the Act.
Guidance and contact information
Two guidance documents have been produced on the scheme and are available to download: An introduction to the New Zealand Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme for consumers and retailers, and A Suppliers' Guide to the New Zealand Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme. Printed copies will be available shortly.
For general enquiries about WELS please contact:
waterefficiency@mfe.govt.nz or phone (04) 439 7400.
Further information
- See the fresh water page for related projects, policies, regulations, reports, partnerships, guidelines and tools about fresh water.
- For a full list of publications relating to water refer to the water publications page.
Last updated: 13 April 2010
