Stars describe relative efficiency
Australia’s Energy Rating guidance describes the star rating as a measure of how efficiently an appliance uses energy compared with similar products. More stars can indicate greater efficiency, but only within a meaningful peer group. Capacity and features matter because a larger appliance can deliver more output while receiving the same star rating as a smaller one.
That is why a five-star 10 kg washing machine and a five-star 6 kg washing machine should not be treated as having the same annual running cost. The star result incorporates the product’s class and performance calculation; it is not a universal score that can be compared across every size, category or label generation.
- Choose the capacity and essential features first.
- Compare the star rating inside that similar group.
- Do not compare washing-machine stars with fridge or dishwasher stars.
Labelled kWh is a standardised annual estimate
The energy-consumption figure is expressed in kilowatt hours per year. It comes from legally required standardised testing and published usage assumptions, not a meter reading from your home. The official assumptions include seven warm washes per week for clothes washers, seven uses per week for dishwashers, and continuous operation for fridges and freezers.
Your actual result can be higher or lower. Load size, program choice, temperature, maintenance, climate, standby behaviour and frequency of use all matter. The labelled figure is therefore valuable for consistent model-to-model comparison, but it is not a promise about the electricity recorded on a future bill.
Turn kWh into a cautious cost estimate
The official consumer formula is annual labelled consumption multiplied by the electricity tariff in dollars per kWh. If a label shows 300 kWh per year and the relevant usage tariff is $0.30 per kWh, the simple estimate is $90 per year. A time-of-use tariff, solar generation, controlled load, fixed charges or changed usage can make the household result different.
Use the same tariff assumption for each model in a comparison. Changing both the appliance and the tariff at once makes the result hard to interpret. Keep the arithmetic visible, and do not extend a one-year label estimate across an assumed product life without disclosing that lifespan assumption.
How Lasting Index presents the fields
An Australian model page keeps the energy-star assertion and labelled annual-energy assertion separate, with the registration source, source-record identifier and observation date. A missing kWh value stays missing. Lasting Index does not derive a household bill, predict future repair frequency or convert an energy label into a product ranking.
When two records show the same stars but different kWh, check capacity and features before drawing a conclusion. When stars differ but annual kWh is close, the models may deliver different capacity or performance. Open each exact record and inspect the source evidence rather than treating either number as sufficient on its own.